Reunited
by Hotaru
Summary: Sherry and Jake reunite to fight a human trafficker in New York City. SherryxJake eventually.
1. Chapter 1

December 23

6:00 a.m.

Sherry Birkin stared at her reflection in the fogged bathroom mirror. Her face didn't show the trauma that she had been through in her short life. It didn't reflect the virus antibodies flowing through her body that made it practically impossible to be affected by life-threatening injuries. She wasn't like most people. She was an anomaly; a freak used by her own father to further his precious creation. Sherry took several deep breaths and stepped away from the mirror before she was tempted to put her fist through it. Her superiors had already spoken with her about her anger problems so now she had to keep them hidden.

She dried off from her shower and started to pull clothing from her tiny closet, selecting a warm purple sweater and cream-colored slacks. She wasn't working in the field, so she selected a pair of heeled boots. The coffee machine was gurgling to life when she entered the kitchen, so she popped a slice of bread into the toaster and surveyed her apartment. It was relatively large for a Manhattan apartment, with a living room and fireplace on one side and a small study and windows overlooking 79th street on the other. The kitchen was tucked behind the living room, with her bedroom and the only bathroom on the other side of the apartment.

Sherry sloshed some coffee into a travel mug and spiked it with sugar and cream just as her toast popped up. She buttered it, poured some coffee into a mug and drank it black while she ate her toast. She had been eating the same breakfast every day since joining the Strategic Intervention Division, or SID for short. Leon had used his pull with the Presidential cabinet and recommended her for a field position there; Sherry was convinced that she was only given the position because the government could keep an eye on her, as SID was an off-shoot of Homeland Security.

There were always threats and rumors of "the next virus" bouncing around between cubicles, and Sherry was a bit of a celebrity, being a survivor of Raccoon City, and the incidents in Edonia and China. Her co-workers gazed at her with macabre fascination, always full of questions. Sherry would usually shut them up with a hard stare or a harsh word, which sent them running to the Chief's office.

Renee Malek was in charge of the SID, and she ran a tight ship. Everyone referred to her as Ice Queen behind her back, but she certainly earned the nickname. Sherry found out rather quickly that Malek had little sympathy for her employees, especially Sherry. It wasn't long before she learned that Malek's parents had died in Raccoon City, so she made it her life's goal to eradicate bio-terror weapons from the world. It was an honorable goal, but she treated Sherry as if she was the one who flipped the switch.

Sherry slid into the chair in her cubicle, avoiding the nosy glances that greeted her each morning. _"Why doesn't she age?"_ was this morning's murmuring, so she snorted in annoyance. Her email was full of garbage, along with a stupid chain email from Carlos Oliveira. She didn't know how he had gotten her official government email, but she usually sent his mail straight to the trash anyway. Asking him to leave her alone would just hurt his feelings unnecessarily.

Malek was making her way down the row of cubicles, being nosy simply because she could. Sherry opened up a few files related to a case she was closing out, then rooted around in her filing cabinet for an invoice.

"Morning, Agent Birkin," Malek greeted pleasantly.

"Good morning, Chief. Did we wear back from the Tunisian government about this supposed arms deal?" Sherry replied, holding up a laundry list of weapons.

"Not as of yet. I'll put my feelers out. Are you sure your source is credible?"

"It's not _my_ source, but I trust the person who referred them to me."

Malek drummed her acrylic fingernails on the back of Sherry's chair. She was blatantly skimming Sherry's inbox, searching for something of interest. Sherry pulled up a satellite photo and tilted her screen up.

"This is the supposed deal, or at least the inspection of the goods to be exchanged. The real transaction is supposed to go down tonight in Valletta, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. I don't think I need to tell you how unstable that entire region is—"

"You're right, you don't," Malek interrupted. "I'll let you know what I find." She walked away, and the merry-go-round continued to spin. Sherry tapped away at her keyboard, calling her sources, re-checking facts, pulling satellite photos from their secured server, until it was very late.

Sherry picked her head up and looked around the office; it was a ghost town. A few lights were left on, but somehow she had been sitting in the dark and hadn't even noticed. With a stretch, Sherry groaned and closed up shop until the following morning. The janitor was vacuuming as she walked by, but she said goodnight and waved anyway. The clock on the wall near the elevator read 8:45; somehow she managed to work a thirteen hour day yet again.

The winter air was blisteringly cold when she stepped out of the office building, and she wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her neck in a feeble attempt to keep warm. She could hear Christmas carols in the distance, accompanied by jingle bells and ho-ho-hos. The holiday season only served as a weeks-long reminder that she had no one to celebrate with, and nothing to really celebrate.

Feeling the need to walk, Sherry skipped taking the train and hoofed it to her apartment. There were too many people on the streets, ogling at store displays and sucking on candy canes. Sherry didn't want to feel bitter, but the magic and special quality that had once made New York City exciting was now replaced but something else. She tried to put her finger on it, but kept coming up with disdain. The city had once represented hope for her; a new job and a new city to settle down in, where she could make friends and live a little.

Sherry smiled bitterly at the memory of the one and only time she had went out with her fellow SID employees. Everyone wanted to go drinking as it was a Friday night, and drinking was the only logical conclusion they could come to. Annette, a red-headed twit had sidled up beside her an hour in and sloshed her drink all over the bar.

"So you're the real deal, huh?" she whispered drunkenly, eyeing Sherry up and down. "The daughter of the doctors Birkin who killed all those people?" Not knowing what to say, Sherry said nothing. A man she only knew as Tino came up on her other side, eager to listen in.

"The indestructible Sherry Birkin," he breathed hot whisky breath on her face, his gaze settling where it shouldn't.

"I think I'm going to head out," Sherry said, twisting out of her bar stool. She made a beeline for the door, ignoring their japes and jeering. She hadn't noticed that Tino followed her out until he cornered her in front of a shut-down bodega.

"What do you want?" Sherry had asked him, swallowing down a whimper as he pressed his body into hers against the dirty glass windows. He reached for her hips, and she twisted but couldn't get passed him. His fingers rubbed her sides before he grasped at her breasts, breathing hotly against her neck. Fueled by rage, Sherry kneed him in the nuts and punched his jaw as hard as she could before charging down the street.

He had made a big show of apologizing the following Monday, and he was assigned an overseas detail once Malek had heard what he had done. That was when she was still on Sherry's side.

Sherry wiped her eyes, surprised that she was crying at the memory. She hadn't cried that night, nor when she reported it to Malek and eventually to Leon. She didn't feel like she was victimized, but knew that it could have very easily turned out that way. Unfortunately, turning on Tino was like turning on everyone; every SID agent knew that she had ratted him out. Someone even went so far as to put a fake rat in her desk drawer.

It was that action that pushed her to stand up on her desk and make a complete fool of herself. She used a few unsavory words and threw the plastic rat clear across the office and dared anyone to fuck with her again, which prompted Malek to call her in for the first of several counseling sessions. Sherry tried to explain herself, but Malek wouldn't hear it. She threw around words like teamwork, cooperation, and teasing to make Sherry's abuse seem less than it was. Sherry had said her yes ma'ams and promised she would be a team player. That entailed putting on a happy face and ignoring the whispers, which Sherry was getting really tired of.

By the time she reached her apartment, Sherry couldn't feel her toes and regretting skipping the train. Thinking about the past was never cathartic for her; it just conjured up dark feelings like murk at the bottom of a lake. Unsurprisingly, the elevator in her building was still 'under repair', so she hiked up to the fifth floor and finally shuffled into her apartment shortly before ten. Luckily, she had soup in the freezer, so she put it into a pot to thaw.

There was a bottle of wine in the door of the refrigerator, so she poured herself a glass even though she wasn't a big drinker. She took a tentative sip and rolled her shoulders as the stress of the day began to weigh on her. Her feet were aching from her trek home, and she wished that she knew someone with a Jacuzzi so she could take a nice, long soak.

Once the soup was hot, she filled a bowl and brought it to her small kitchen table. She opened up the day's paper and skimmed the articles for anything of interest. She tried not to dwell on the sad affair that her life had become, as it would definitely make her cry. She barely tasted the soup, only registering the warmth that spread through her belly. By the time she was done eating, Sherry could hardly keep her eyes open.

She washed her bowl and spoon, and attempted another sip of wine before tipping it into the sink. As she was pouring the soup into a Tupperware, there was a light knock on her door. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and her eyes darted to the clock on the stove. It was almost eleven o'clock at night, much too late to have any visitors. She never had visitors at normal hours, either.

Sherry retrieved her .22 from the holster in her jacket and crept towards her door. She stood up on her tiptoes and peered through the peep hole. Whoever had been knocking had given up and was heading towards the stairs. She took him in; leather jacket, beanie, and a muscular build. She reached for the handle and yanked the door open in complete shock.

"Jake?" she exclaimed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Sherry retrieved her .22 from the holster in her jacket and crept towards her door. She stood up on her tiptoes and peered through the peep hole. Whoever had been knocking had given up and was heading towards the stairs. She took him in; leather jacket, beanie, and a muscular build. She reached for the handle and yanked the door open in complete shock._

 _"_ _Jake?" she exclaimed._

The man spun around and broke into a grin.

"Sherry," he greeted, heading back in her direction. Tucking her gun into her waistband at the small of her back, Sherry grinned and ran to attack him with a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, breathing in the scent of cold leather and snow. He held her tightly, pressing his cold cheek against her warm neck. _She smells amazing._

"Visiting you," he said, finally releasing her. "I wasn't sure if you would be awake."

"I was just about to head to bed, but I'm glad you caught me. Come on in, please," Sherry said, holding the door open.

Jake followed her inside and tossed his duffel bag by the front door before stretching, working the kinks out of his neck and shoulders. "Sorry it's so late. I was supposed to be here yesterday, but after an emergency landing in France and engine trouble in Canada…"

Sherry frowned and reached for his jacket. "Here, make yourself comfortable. You must be exhausted," she said.

"I'd rather keep it on—I'm fucking freezing. Last time I ask Kennedy for directions," Jake replied, his cheeks tinted pink from the cold.

"I have some chicken and rice soup if you're hungry?" Sherry offered, gesturing towards the kitchen with her thumb.

"That sounds amazing, thank you."

While Sherry set about dishing out the soup, Jake did a walk-through of Sherry's tiny apartment, noticing the lack of Christmas decorations. He didn't exactly expect any, but compared to the brightly lit storefronts he had passed on the way, her apartment was downright depressing. Jake stopped at her work desk and snooped through some of the paperwork before noticing a picture frame buried under a stack of files.

He pulled it out and frowned. It was a photo of Sherry and her parents a long time ago, or so he assumed. She was grinning while her mother and father wore stoic smiles. Jake presumed that she was around ten years old at the time the picture was taken. Before Raccoon City sucked the light out of her eyes.

Sherry stepped out of the kitchen and found Jake by her work station looking at the picture frame she had allowed to get buried. She pressed her lips into a thin line and walked over to her desk, pulling the frame out of his hands. He grumbled at her as she tossed it into a desk drawer.

"I didn't mean to—" Jake started but Sherry interrupted him.

"It's fine. I'm not mad."

"Bullshit. Look at you, you have steam coming out of your ears."

She crossed her arms and paced, displaced by how easily he saw through her lie. "I just..."

"I know. If anyone is gonna understand, it's me. Anyway, I shouldn't have gone through your stuff," Jake said, the best apology she would probably be getting from him. She hugged herself and shook her head, the fight leaving her exhausted body.

"I just hate the holidays," she muttered, leading Jake into the kitchen.

"I can see that," Jake replied, gesturing to her decorations-free apartment. "For what it's worth, so do I."

Sherry placed a bowl of soup in front of him and sat in the other kitchen chair. Jake held his face above the steaming bowl, breathing deeply. He grabbed the spoon and took a bite, letting out a satisfied groan. He proceeded to empty the bowl in less than a minute, draining the broth in one long gulp.

"Damn, that's good," he sighed, shrugging his leather jacket off.

"Would you like some more?" Sherry offered, hiding her smile behind her folded hands. It felt so good to actually receive a compliment for a change.

"Yes…but I can't eat all of your food."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his bowl to refill it in the kitchen, a smile playing on her lips as she ladled the soup. When she returned to the table, Jake was holding his head up with his right hand, seemingly asleep. Sherry placed the bowl on the table and put her hand on Jake's shoulder. He jumped awake, and she could feel his body tense beneath her fingers.

"Here you go," she said, gesturing to the bowl. He grabbed the spoon and began eating again. "So what brings you to our fair city?"

"Work," Jake said around a bite of chicken and rice. "Legit work." He must have caught the twitch in Sherry's eye.

"So you're legit now, huh?" she teased. He gulped down the broth in his bowl and smirked.

"Didn't I say that you saved me? Taught me how to fight the good fight and all that…anyway, Kennedy booked me into a hotel under a fake name since the U.S. government isn't looking to have the spawn of Albert Wesker gallivanting around America and tainting her fair streets."

"If any of them actually knew you, it wouldn't be a problem. But I'm sorry you have to deal with that," Sherry apologized as Jake pulled out his phone. He lifted a shoulder as though to say, "What can you do?" He put the call into his hotel while Sherry prepared for bed, changing into warm pajamas and brushing her teeth. While she was removing her make-up, she overheard Jake getting frustrated on the phone.

After the last smudge of mascara was gone, she went back to the kitchen to find Jake with his phone still pressed against his ear. He lowered his head, jamming his left hand on his hip.

"Try Kennedy, my boss reserved it. Maybe he just screwed up the name…nothing? Try Muller. M-U-L-L-E-R…seriously?" Jake rubbed his eyes in frustration, holding out his free hand. "Well, do you have any rooms tonight?...what is that? Is that actually a thing?...forget it, thanks."

He hung up the phone and shook his head. "The National Society of Space Debris…what the fuck?" he muttered to himself, shoving his phone into his pocket.

"Everything alright?" Sherry asked. Jake jumped slightly, then waved his hand.

"The hotel Leon booked me a room in is not finding my reservation, and they have no rooms because there's a convention in town for the fans of garbage from space. I can't believe that's even a thing," he muttered again, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I'm gonna see if there are any other hotels that don't cater to people like that."

Sherry laughed and crossed her arms, suddenly aware that she wasn't wearing a bra. "Why don't you just stay here tonight? The couch pulls out to a bed," she offered. Jake seemed to consider the suggestion.

"I don't want to put you out," he started, but Sherry silenced him with a soft stomp of her foot.

"After everything that we've been through together, the least I can do is give you a place to sleep."

She removed the cushions from the couch and Jake pulled out the metal bed frame, unfolding the bed with ease. Sherry got fresh sheets and they made the bed together. It was the least exciting thing that they had ever done together.

"There's only one bathroom, and it's attached to my room so I'll leave my door unlocked. Just don't watch me sleep or anything creepy like that," Sherry warned. Jake just stared at her before shaking his head.

"I guess I'll ask the same thing of you. Mind if I take a shower?" he asked. "I probably smell like airplane seats and foreign meat."

Sherry laughed and said, "No, you smell great. For someone who hasn't showered in a few days, I mean." Her cheeks heated as she retreated from the bathroom to get fresh towels. Jake turned the shower on and pulled his toiletry bag from his duffel. "Want me to turn the heat up?" she offered, walking over to the thermostat.

"I'm good, but turn it up if you're cold," Jake called from the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Sherry increased the temperature by a few degrees before standing by the bathroom again.

"I'm going to bed, so just turn the light off in there when you're done, okay?" she called through the wooden door.

"You got it," Jake called, moaning from under the hot water. "This feels amazing. I owe you big time."

"I'll just put it on your tab."

Sherry climbed into bed and wrapped herself up in her sheet and comforter. She felt a little uncomfortable keeping her bedroom door unlocked. It wasn't because of Jake; she just felt safer with as many obstacles between her and whatever possible monster might come through her door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As exhausted as she was, Sherry couldn't sleep. She listened to Jake moving around in the bathroom after his shower, telling herself that she would sleep better once it was silent. Silence meant safety, after all. Her thoughts drifted to their missions together and how Jake had evolved in such a short time. He was determined not to let his father define him as a man, changing from a selfish mercenary into one of the good guys in less than a year.

The bathroom door creaked open and the light was extinguished. Jake shuffled out, kicked something and cursed. Sherry laughed from the bed.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Jake whispered, clutching the towel around his waist.

"Nope."

"I, uh, couldn't dry off in there. Too humid," he said, explaining the towel and bundle of clothes in his arm.

"Oh," Sherry replied, trying to keep her eyes from travelling. "Don't worry about it." Jake nodded and went out to the living room to towel off before pulling on a tank top and flannel pants. Sherry tossed in her bed, listening to the pull out bed creak as Jake climbed into it and tried to get comfortable. She looked at her watch; it was already midnight and she had work in the morning, but she was too excited to see Jake to sleep.

She crawled out of bed and tiptoed into the living room. Jake had both arms behind his head and he was staring at the ceiling.

"Boo," Sherry whispered, earning a smirk from Jake. "I'm too tired to sleep."

"This is the first time I've been horizontal since I was in Europe, but my body won't relax," he replied, turning on the lamp to his left.

"I wish I were more of a drinker since booze makes me sleepy. I tend to avoid the stuff," Sherry said, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"Explain the wine glass, then."

Sherry glanced towards the kitchen and frowned. "That's not to say I don't try to drink once in a while. It doesn't do it for me," she explained.

"Me neither, I guess. Must be our magic antibodies," Jake snorted, rubbing his face. "So what's new?"

Sherry shrugged, picking at her pajama pants. "Nothing exciting," she answered after a few moments of silence. "Work is…work. I work and come home, that's about it."

"What?" Jake asked incredulously. "You live in the greatest city in the world, or so I'm told. Shouldn't you be out there, living it up and having the time of your life?" It was Sherry's turn to snort. She moved to sit cross-legged on the bed.

"I tried that when I was assigned here. I don't like clubs, I don't really drink, so I tried the whole co-worker mingling experience and…it's not for me," she half-explained. Jake sat up and stared at her, his eyes peeling away her tough veneer little by little.

"Not for you, huh? You would think other agents would be great drinking buddies since they've experienced some of the same stuff as you," he mused, raising his right leg to rest his hand on his knee.

"I though the same thing. Then you learn the truth about people once they've got their load on," Sherry remarked, wishing she hadn't said anything.

"We all have our flaws. These people wouldn't be working for the government if they were too screwed up."

"You would think that. Just because my co-workers are government agents doesn't mean that they aren't petty little shits, either." Jake was concerned now, Sherry could see it on his face. He wouldn't let up until she finally explained what had happened. "Let's talk about something else."

"Sherry." He said her name and cocked his head to the side.

"It's nothing, Jake. I handled it, the guy is out of the country—"

Jake tensed and turned towards her in the bed. "Did someone hurt you?" he asked quietly.

"Give me a little credit, you know I can take care of myself," Sherry replied defensively, even though she was glad that he still worried about her.

"No doubt in my mind," Jake reassured her. "That doesn't mean that it can't still hurt."

Sherry climbed off the bed and walked towards her work station, pulling open a filing cabinet. She flipped through the tabs until the found the folder she wanted, bringing it to Jake. She handed it over silently, sitting on the arm of the couch to his left. He opened the file, scanning the data boxes on top. It had all of Sherry's vital information, government identification, as well as the vitals on Valentino Betz.

Acid churned in his stomach as he skimmed the text, getting a clearer picture of what had happened. The report was very much cut and dry, no emotions and just the facts. A man, Sherry's co-worker and fellow agent of the Strategic Intervention Division, had gotten drunk and followed her out of a bar. He accosted her on the street, groping her before she was able to get away. He filed a report of his own, placing all of the blame on Sherry and how she was such a flirt in the bar.

Jake closed the file silently, and Sherry could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Does Kennedy know?" he asked softly.

"Yes. He wanted the guy stripped of his rank and discharged, but Malek intervened. She's the head of SID and claimed he had a spotless record and didn't deserve to lose everything over a misread social cue," Sherry replied bitterly. Jake took her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry that he did that to you. He better hope that we never cross paths," he said, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand.

"Yeah, well I get the first shot. Anyway…that's the story. You can understand why I would rather just stay home, I hope."

"What about missions?" Jake asked, pulling away and putting his hands behind his head. "I thought you'd be out there fighting the good fight."

Sherry got up and paced around the living room, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "I was in the beginning, but once Malek found out that it was my parents who were responsible for the outbreak in Raccoon City, she stuck me on desk duty…claimed I was a liability," she explained, not hiding her disdain for her superior.

Jake climbed out of bed and jammed his hands at his waist. "What's Leon got to say about all this? Didn't he help you get the job in the first place?"

"I quit the Division of Security Operations after Director Simmons was revealed to be a behind the C-Virus outbreak, burning bridges along the way. I didn't feel like I could trust the DSO anymore. Leon understood, but he still had to pull some strings to get me into SID," she explained.

"Shouldn't your work speak for itself? You saved the world and prevented a global catastrophe. They should be bowing at your damn feet."

Sherry sent him a small smile but shrugged. "Or maybe since my name has been attached to several other catastrophes, I really _am_ a liability."

Jake furrowed his brow and scrunched up his nose. "Don't feed me that crap—you're way more than your parents' mistake. Wasn't it _you_ who told me that my father's actions had nothing to do with me?"

"Yes, but—"

"But nothing," Jake interrupted, wrapping his hands around her shoulders. "You are an amazing woman, Sherry. You and I both have baggage that we would love to off-load, but despite everything that's happened, you're still willing to help other people. You're still trying to save the world, super girl."

Sherry tried to say something, anything, but she just stood there with her mouth hanging open, staring up at Jake. He pulled her into a hug, exhaling deeply as he rested his chin on her head.

"Don't let these people abuse you any more than they have, Sherry. Stand up for yourself, and if they give you shit, you can come work with me," he offered. Sherry laughed into his chest, nodding.

"We were pretty good partners," she conceded, pulling away from the warmth of Jake's embrace. "And for what it's worth, I tried sticking up for myself in the beginning."

"Until they forced you into believing that it's better to keep your head down to avoid the ax, right?" Jake shook his head. Sherry smiled sadly, feeling awkward in her own living room.

"I guess I should try to get some sleep," she said finally, rubbing her face. Jake nudged her shoulder.

"Don't forget what I said," he called as she shuffled off to her bedroom. She gave him a thumbs-up before disappearing into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

December 24

1:30 a.m.

Jake Muller sauntered up to the line outside of the Nightcap club, shivering as a light snow fell. Despite the freezing temperature, the ladies were all wearing mini-skirts and goosebumps.

"You come here often?" Jake asked the girl at the back of the line. She had long legs and even longer hair. She turned and looked at him, raising an arched eyebrow.

"Seriously?" she asked, her big lips smothered in shiny gloss.

"I'm looking for someone who's supposed to frequent this place," Jake replied with a small smirk. He produced a picture from his pocket and showed it to the girl discreetly. "Seen him around?"

She squinted at the photo before giving him a noncommittal shrug. The line shifted forward as a bachelorette party was let in. Jake and the girl were next behind the velvet rope.

"His family is looking for him, so if you think he looks familiar, it would be helpful," Jake pressed. The girl hooked her arm around his and then nodded at the bouncer.

"He's with me, Big Dog," she vouched for Jake and pulled him into the club, which was bouncing with deep bass. "Buy me a drink. Maybe it'll refresh my memory."

Jake did as he was told, and once the girl had her Long Island Iced Tea, she loosened up a bit.

"Aren't you gonna introduce yourself, Mr. Policeman?" she looked up at him from under her mascara-coated eyelashes.

"I'm not cop," Jake replied quickly. "I'm just trying to help this guy's family."

"Ok Mr. I'm not a cop, I'm Tia. What should I call you? Mr. Mysterious?"

"Call me Jake."

"I've seen your man around," Tia said finally, shrugging out of her fluffy coat to reveal the skin tight dress she was wearing. Jake couldn't resist giving her a quick up-down. _Damn_.

"You see him lately?" he asked, taking a pull from his beer. It tasted disgusting, but the last thing he wanted to do was bring attention to himself. But he didn't need the alcohol dulling his senses, either.

"Well, I guess he was here just a few days ago. I think he might be the owner or business partner or something. Anyways, he was just kinda lookin' around, staring at the girls, and being a real creep."

Jake twisted his beer bottle around on the bar. The behavior fit the profile of his target, a transcontinental sex trafficker known as The Hornet. He felt Tia's hand on his knee, so he lifted his head and saw her gesture towards the bathrooms. She slid off the barstool and sashayed towards the dark hallway. Jake followed her, hoping she wasn't leading him into some kind of trap.

"You're drawing a lot of attention to yourself, Mr. Mysterious," Tia said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his body close to hers.

"Is that right?" he asked, wrapping his hands around her waist. _Just play along_.

"You don't seem like the typical cop, but you're not just a Good Samaritan either. You go poking your cute little nose in this place, you might end up losing it," Tia warned. She spoke so quietly, Jake had to lower his ear towards her mouth. People in the club probably thought he was kissing her neck instead of receiving information.

"Why would you care what happens to me?" Jake wondered out loud.

"You don't seem like a bad guy," Tia replied, her glossed lips brushing the shell of his ear.

Jake laughed and said, "We just met. How could you possibly know what type of guy I am?"

Tia smiled up at him. She was cute, and she knew it. "Take a look around, Jake. How many guys in here would have felt me up by now?" She tilted her head to the side, her dark hair cascading down her arm and tickling Jake's fingers.

"You are being mighty forward," Jake conceded. "But you're supplying me with information, not coming on to me."

"Can't I do both?" Tia asked, pouting a little. Jake tried to hide the smirk that formed on his lips. "Come with me." She took his hand and led him down the hallway, past the kitchen and through a beaded curtain. There was a large, beefy man standing in front of a black door that was covered with lipstick kisses.

"Give him twenty bucks," Tia told Jake, stroking his arm while he pulled out his wallet.

"Ten minutes," the man grunted, pushing the lipstick door open. Tia led Jake through a dark hallway, past several doors with moans and grunts coming from behind them. They went into the first open room, which contained a couch and a bed. Tia shut the door and pushed Jake onto the couch. He followed her lead, wondering what the hell she was playing at.

She straddled him and pressed her lips against his ear. "These rooms are bugged, and there's video, too," she whispered, trailing kisses down his neck and pausing at his shoulder. "The guy in that pic is bad news and has ears everywhere."

Jake rubbed his hands up her back, trying to process the information. The Hornet was in town, possibly even in the club at that very moment. He was dangerous and travelled with body guards at all times, making enemies both in Europe and the U.S.

"How do you know all this?" he asked, finally, trying very hard not to become aroused.

"The girls here, they talk. Every now and then a new one comes in, speaks no English and is scared out of her fucking mind. It doesn't take a genius to realize—"

The door burst open and a trio of men barreled in. One of them yanked Tia off of Jake and tossed her across the room. Jake vaulted off the couch, barely avoiding the punch that came straight for his face. He kneed the punching man, slamming an elbow into his kidney for good measure. One man down. The other two pulled guns, and everything slowed down.

Jake held up his hands, bending his knees in case he suddenly needed to dart left or right. Tia remained on the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. She nodded her head slightly, remaining still otherwise. "Someone want to tell me what the hell's going on?"

"You don't get to ask the questions here, _Jake_ ," one of the men sneered. Jake realized that he was the bartender, and he was sporting brass knuckles now.

"Okay, you're in charge," Jake replied calmly. He waited for the men to speak. Instead they charged at him, grabbing hold of his arms while the third man yanked at the hem of his shirt. Together, they ripped his shirt off and went for his belt. Jake tried to yank free, but the three men overpowered him. Once his pants were on the floor, the men searched through his pockets, and checked him for a wire.

Once they were satisfied that he wasn't bugged, they shoved him onto the couch in his boxer briefs and pointed a gun at his head. One of them produced his picture of The Hornet and tossed it at him. The picture poked him in the chest before fluttering into his lap.

"Why are you looking for this man?" the bartender asked, pressing the brass knuckles into his other palm.

"Some people were looking for him in Moldova. They told me they were his family—" Jake started before he was interrupted with a pot-shot to his temple.

"Don't start with that fucking lying shit," the bartender warned.

"Maybe they lied to me, but that's what they said. That they were family; the guy was adopted fifty years ago and they were trying to find him. That's all I know," Jake tried again, hoping that his bullshitting skills weren't as weak as they felt.

The silent man pulled Tia from the floor and shoved her to her knees in front of Jake.

"Well, darling, what do you think? Is he telling the truth?" he asked, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back. Jake's blood was boiling, but he couldn't risk losing his temper yet.

"H-he told me that he was hired by this guy's family. Didn't say nothing about anything else," Tia said, her lips quivering.

"What name did they give you?" the silent man asked Jake, still maintaining a firm grip on Tia's hair. Jake felt his ears heat up, and he cursed inwardly for making such a rookie mistake.

"Smitrovich. Ivan Smitrovich," he said finally, hoping his old neighbor wouldn't mind getting name-dropped. The bartender bent down and grabbed the picture from the shag carpet.

"This," he began, flipping a lighter and igniting the photo, "…is not Ivan Smitrovich. What did she tell you about this man?" The bartender kicked Tia in the ribs. Jake glanced down at her.

"Nothing true. Said maybe she had information, but that I should buy her a drink first. She led me on, trying to get into my pants. Ask your guy at the door, she was all over me," Jake said, not veering too far from the truth. The silent man released Tia and shoved her towards the door, telling her to get lost. Jake finally allowed himself to breathe a little bit.

The bartender stepped towards Jake until they were nose-to-nose. His eyes were black like a shark, his pupils dilated from the dark room.

"I ever see your face here again, your family's going to get a new piece of you every Christmas for the next twenty years," he growled, socking Jake in the ribs twice before slamming him into the wall. Both men stalked out of the room, leaving the beefy body guard to tell Jake that his time was up.

Once his head stopped spinning, Jake grabbed his clothing from the floor and dressed before staggering back into the club. Tia was gone, but his jacket and beer were where he left them. He slipped his coat on, wincing at the pain in his side. He drained his beer, locked eyes with the bartender, and hurled the glass bottle across the bar. It slammed into the mirror, which shattered and rained broken glass everywhere.

By the time anyone turned to look at Jake, he was outside speed-walking to the train. He felt stupid for going in without a plan, but didn't exactly expect that he'd get a lead from a sexy girl in a mini-dress. His cell phone read 2:26; he could sleep on the train and catch a few hours rest back at Sherry's apartment. He fingered the key ring he had swiped on his way out, feeling slightly guilty. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, Jake surmised, relieved when he saw the stairs for the subway.

"You okay, Mr. Mysterious?" a voice called out. Jake stopped mid-stride, finding Tia sitting on a bench.

"Hey," Jake greeted, walking towards her. She had her arms wrapped around herself, but she was still shivering. "Is this just another night on the town for you?"

Tia snorted, wiping the tears from her eyes. Jake felt a pang of guilt and shrugged his jacket off, taking care not to exacerbate the damage to his ribs. He wrapped the jacket around her shoulders and sat beside her on the bench.

"Thanks," she said, sniffling. "I tried to warn you."

"That you did," Jake admitted. "About a second before the goon squad showed up."

"They must have been watching you from the start. You're not their usual clientele."

"That would have been nice to know. Are you alright?"

"Sure, nothing a hot bath won't fix. So what's the real story? They don't have cameras this far," Tia asked, and Jake hesitated. He didn't think he could trust this girl, nor the club personnel. For all he knew, she was working for them, pulling information from him. He pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to Tia.

"If they give you shit over this, call me," he said, taking his jacket back before heading to the subway. Tia called out an apology as he headed down the stairs, and he didn't bother to acknowledge it.


	5. Chapter 5

December 24

6:00 a.m.

Sherry Birkin stared at her reflection in the fogged up bathroom mirror, grimacing at the dark smudges beneath her eyes. She was tired, but not as exhausted as she thought she would be after staying up so late talking to Jake. She couldn't suppress the smile that came to her lips upon realizing that he was just in the other room. _What is wrong with me? I'm acting like a giddy school girl_. Sherry shook her head and pulled open her closet, selecting a red sweater, charcoal skirt, and knee-high leather boots.

After putting on her make-up and doing her hair, she poked her head out of her room.

"Are you decent?" she called, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks.

"That's kind of a loaded question," Jake responded, which Sherry took as a yes. She walked into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks. "Perfect timing."

"What's all this?" Sherry asked, gesturing at the plates of breakfast on the table.

"Food. I raided your fridge," Jake replied, handing her a fork. Sherry looked longingly at her coffee maker before realizing there was a full pot sitting on the table.

"You think of everything, don't you?" she remarked, pulling out a chair. "I didn't even know I had bacon."

"It's turkey bacon, but it's not bad. For turkey."

Sherry slid a fried egg onto a slice of buttered toast and took a bite, then another. She was suddenly famished, digging into her plate of eggs, bacon, and toast. Jake put his food together like a sandwich, smirking at her as he chewed.

"I don't know what to say," Sherry began, licking the crumbs from her fingers. "I can't remember the last time anyone made me breakfast."

"You made me dinner, so it's only fair. But that's pretty sad, nonetheless," Jake remarked, pouring some coffee into her mug. He didn't want to make a comment about having guys over, so he let the issue drop. It's not that he wanted her to be lonely or unhappy, but he didn't exactly want her to have a revolving door when it came to men either.

"Anyway, this was wonderful but I have to go to work," Sherry said apologetically.

"But it's Christmas Eve," Jake countered, disappointed. Sherry shrugged on a black pea coat and wrapped a white scarf around her neck.

"I'll only be gone a few hours, just a few loose ends to tie up."

Jake brought the dishes to the kitchen and filled the sink with warm, soapy water. He was rummaging through his duffel bag when Sherry noticed the gash on his head.

"What happened?" she asked, gently pressing against his temple. He winced and pulled away, yanking his files from his bag.

"Nothing. Accident in the shower," he lied, reaching for his coat.

"I would have woken up if you fell," Sherry insisted, trying to get him to stop avoiding her. She finally grabbed his chin and yanked him down so his head was at eye level. "Your skin is red and puffy. You probably need stitches."

Jake shrugged and pulled his coat on. Sherry sighed and took his arm, leading him to the bathroom. She had Jake sit on the closed toilet lid while she pulled some first aid supplies from the medicine cabinet.

"This is unnecessary," he complained, crossing his arms. Sherry rolled her eyes, wondering why men never allowed women to take care of them. Jake definitely did not fall in the shower; she was a light sleeper and the bump alone would have jolted her awake. He was lying about something, but why?

Sherry cleaned the wound with antiseptic, probing the bone to check for fractures. She was no doctor, but had enough field experience to find a cracked skull, even in someone as hard-headed as Jake Muller. He had silently accepted the help, his eyes wandering around the bathroom while he tried to avoid staring at Sherry. He could smell her perfume; light and flowery.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked him suddenly, and he tensed.

"Just remembering a stupid joke," he lied again, wondering why the hell he was skirting around the truth so much lately.

"Mm. Should I bother asking how it goes?"

"Probably not."

Sherry let out a sigh, her breath tickling the top of Jake's head. "You'll live," she said, tossing the bandage wrappers in the garbage. Jake checked his reflection in the mirror, grimacing at the sight of the butterfly bandages holding his head together. The old Jake would have obliterated the bartender with the brass knuckles without a second though. Now he had a career to worry about.

He parted ways with Sherry outside of her apartment, with her promising she would be back in a few hours.

"I'll text you when I'm on my way," she reassured him before hurrying towards the train. All she needed to do was follow-up on that supposed arms deal with Malek and clear out some of the files in her in-box.

When she arrived at SID HQ everyone was gathered in the conference room. Malek was at the helm, as expected, pointing at the projector screen while the other agents took notes. Sherry slipped in and found an empty chair, hoping her tardiness would go unnoticed.

"For those of you just joining us, a huge case has fallen into our laps. Our target is Movsar Istratii, also known as The Hornet. He's been on INTERPOL's most wanted list for the last decade for numerous trafficking charges and has recently dipped his toes into trafficking women into the United States," Malek reported, referencing what looked like satellite photos on the screen.

"SID has been keeping an eye on him overseas, but eyewitnesses place him here, in our fair city, as recently as last week. I don't think I need to stress what kind of scum this Hornet is. We have a problem; an unknown man has been looking for The Hornet, too. He showed up early this morning at a place called Nightcap, a club that caters to high-end clientele looking to score. Take a look at this."

The video started to play, and Sherry stiffened in her chair. She saw Jake standing outside of the club, showing a picture to a woman in a mini-dress. Malek glanced Sherry's way.

"What is it, Birkin? Notice something?" she asked.

"How does this guy have a photo of The Hornet when all we have are blurry satellite photos?" she blurted, hoping she covered her recognition well.

"Good question," one of the other agents said. "How does he have better connections than we do? I thought we were keeping an eye on this guy overseas."

Sherry was grateful that Malek shifted her attention to the other agent. It gave Sherry a moment to get herself together. She couldn't even fathom the fact that Jake left her apartment last night after they went to sleep so late yet still managed to cook her breakfast. She refocused her attention when Malek played the video again. She covered her mouth with her hand when Jake was strip-searched and beaten, finally understanding the gash on his temple.

A few of the other agents chuckled while watching Jake get pummeled in his skivvies, and Sherry had to bite her tongue. She trusted that he had kept his little excursion to himself for a good reason, but she could only keep his name out of SID for so long.

"What about facial recognition?" an agent piped up. Sherry bit her lip and tried to busy herself with a notepad to look nonchalant even though it felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest.

"We already ran it. No hits, which is…curious, to say the least. This guy is a ghost, and we need to know why," Malek responded.

"I'd like to take point on ID-ing this guy," the same agent, Roarke, continued.

"Me, too," Sherry added quickly, trying not to sound too eager. "I've got a few contacts scattered in different agencies. Maybe they've seen this guy around."

Malek nodded approvingly and concluded her presentation by passing out printouts of their grainy sat images, a list of The Hornet's crimes, and his INTERPOL rap sheet. The agents were dismissed, and Sherry conferred with Roarke briefly before stepping outside to make a call.

"Hey, Sherry! Is everything alright?" Leon Kennedy greeted when he finally answered.

"Yes, everything is fine," she reassured him, understanding his worrying. The survivors of Raccoon City rarely called each other just to chat. "I need your help, but I don't know if you will even be able to help me."

"Alright, well let's hear it."

Sherry relayed everything that she had learned from the SID meeting and the video of Jake at the Nightcap club.

"I don't know who he's working for…actually, I didn't even know he had left my apartment last night," Sherry concluded, checking that no one from her agency had snuck up behind her.

"Your apartment? What about the hotel room I booked?" Leon asked suspiciously. Sherry explained that whole fiasco, glancing at her watch nervously.

"Look, I need to get back, but I don't know what to do here. I volunteered to help ID Jake with the hope that I could delay things somehow, but I don't know if his identity was scrubbed from every server. It would just take one mercenary who worked with Jake looking for some money to sell him out—"

"Sherry, calm down. I'll put some calls in and let you know what I find," Leon reassured her before disconnecting the call. She took several deep breaths before heading back inside, not wanting anyone to notice her prolonged absence. Roarke was tapping away at his keyboard when Sherry joined him.

"I placed a few calls," she reported. "Do you think we can get some screenshots from the night club to send out? Maybe someone can ID him that way."

"Good idea. Go check with Landon in IT, he's really fast with stuff like that," Roarke suggested.

Sherry did as she was told, a knot forming in her stomach as Landon pulled up the video. The woman was all over Jake, but he kept his hands off her as much as possible without looking suspicious. Sherry leaned forward, peering at the screen while Landon did his IT magic.

"What's wrong? You notice something?" he asked.

"It looks like her lips are moving," Sherry replied, pointing at the screen. "She's saying something…and her eyes keep scanning the room, like she's making sure no one is watching them too closely."

Landon zoomed the video in, focusing on the woman's mouth. "Damn, his shoulder is in the way. Think we can get a lip reader in here to try to figure out what she's saying? It could be pillow talk or something more significant," he proposed. Sherry nodded and reached for his phone, calling in a lip reader.

While they waited, Landon pulled up video from the past several days at the Nightcap to look for their mystery woman. She was there three out of five nights, talking and dancing with different people. While they waited for the lip reader, Landon isolated any video with the woman talking with other club patrons. Sherry filled Roarke in on her status with IT, and he told her followed several leads that were just dead ends.

The lip reader showed up as Sherry made it back to Landon's desk. Introductions were made before Roarke popped his head in.

"Sorry to have wasted your time, but we probably don't need you anymore," he said regretfully.

"What are you talking about?" Sherry asked, wrinkling her brown.

"He's here. The guy in the video just walked in and headed straight for Malek's office."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _"Sorry to have wasted your time, but we probably don't need you anymore," Roarke said regretfully._

 _"What are you talking about?" Sherry asked, wrinkling her brow._

 _"He's here. The guy in the video just walked in and headed straight for Malek's office."_

Sherry and Roarke took off in that direction, warning bells dinging in Sherry's head. _Why is Jake here? What did Leon do?!_ She thought in panic, coming up short to the closed door to Malek's office.

"What should we do?" Roarke asked nervously. "I don't want to just barge in…"

"I'll go," Sherry replied, seeing an opportunity to get ahead of this thing. "You can get back with Landon and see what our lip reader can figure out. This guy might not divulge anything."

Roarke nodded, visibly relieved that he wouldn't have to face the wrath of Malek. Sherry took a deep breath before knocking twice and twisting the door handle.

"Ma'am?" she asked, glancing in Jake's direction. He nodded at her, almost imperceptibly.

"Birkin, meet Jake Muller, agent for the Presidential Response for Intervention and Crisis Evacuation Service," Malek said, reading from the ID wallet she held in her hand. "Word gets around fast. It's barely been an hour since we had our conference, where I assigned Birkin and Roarke to ID our mystery man and yet here you are."

Jake took his ID back and slid it into his jacket pocket. He shrugged, crossing his arms.

"You go poking around long enough, something's bound to come out," he retorted. "PRICE assigned me to find The Hornet, so when I heard he was in New York City, I couldn't stay freezing my ass off in Siberia when I could freeze my ass of in America."

Malek slapped her hands down on her desk, rising out of her chair. "Do you think this is some kind of joke?" she sneered, glancing at Sherry. "We wasted valuable resources trying to identify you because PRICE doesn't update their fucking personnel files."

"Ma'am, if I may," Sherry interrupted. "We were never going to ID him with our resources because his existence has been wiped from every database." Jake turned towards her, silently telling her to stop with a slight tilt of his head.

"And you determined this in the sixty-two minutes it's been since you first saw him?" Malek asked.

"No. Agent Muller and I were partners during the C-Virus outbreak. I couldn't tell you without first speaking with my people, as I didn't know the sensitivity of his assignment," Sherry explained, wincing as Jake threw his arms up.

"And here I was trying to protect you," he snorted, putting his hands on his hips. "She didn't know about my mission," he told Malek, pointing at Sherry.

Malek settled back in her chair, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Tell me everything," she said finally. Jake gestured for Sherry to sit and she obliged, smoothing out her skirt as she did.

"My assignment was to locate the transcontinental sex trafficker known as The Hornet. He's supposedly bringing a shipment of girls over from Russia, Ukraine, and some other Slavic countries for an auction of sorts at a club he owns here called Nightcap," Jake began, pacing around the office. "The Hornet's real name is Movsar Istratii, or at least we think it is. He used to be a low-level crime boss who made a name for himself by eliminating the competition. His alias is a reference to the deadly Japanese giant hornet."

Malek was taking notes on a manila folder on her desk, seemingly interested in what Jake had to report. "So this shipment," she began, "it's coming by sea, I take it?"

"Yeah," Jake confirmed. "PRICE has been using surveillance drones for the past month, documenting his movements. He buys the women from poor villages across the Siberian tundra. Some go willingly, buying into his promises of feasts and fortune. Others, the defiant ones, they are extracted and beaten into submission."

Sherry twisted uncomfortably in her chair, but said nothing.

"There's a transport ship making its way stateside as we speak. The owner codes on the crate with the women are bogus, with the merchandise codes tracing back to plastic sandboxes. We think Istratii paid off the dock workers over there, and are fairly confident he's got someone installed at the harbor over here to make sure there's no issues with his shipment. We've got a beacon on the transport crate that's set to activate when they're a few miles out."

Malek held up a hand to interrupt. "So is your mission to swoop in and save the day at the harbor?" she asked sardonically. Sherry bit her lip to keep from growling at her. Jake didn't take the bait and continued in a calm manner.

"The offloading at the harbor is strictly surveillance. I don't intercept The Hornet until he's made the trade here on U.S. soil. I _could_ bust him at the docks, but he'd get extradited and released within a week. I planned on doing this mission solo, and still do. You guys can sit this one out," he concluded, finally taking a seat.

"Mr. Muller…what makes you think that you can take down an internationally wanted criminal with a dozen bodyguards when you couldn't even keep your clothes on at a nightclub?" Malek asked venomously. Jake felt a rush of heat creep up his neck and into his ears.

"I was unarmed and there was an innocent woman in the room. I wasn't looking to cause a scene," he said tightly. Malek smirked, winning the round. Sherry could feel the tension in the room thicken with each passing second, so she raised a hand timidly.

"I can vouch for Agent Muller's skills in the field, ma'am. He's saved my ass more than once, and I wouldn't want anyone else on my side. And I'd like to volunteer to assist him on this mission," she said firmly. Jake wasn't pleased, as he was glaring at her from the other chair. Malek narrowed her eyes at Sherry.

"I believe I was quite clear about my feelings on you being in the field. Just because your little boy toy is here doesn't mean that they've changed."

Jake rose from his chair and snatched a file from Malek's desk. He tucked it under his arm and zipped his jacket before heading for the door. Sherry felt frozen in place, but she wasn't sure why.

"This conversation is not over, Agent Muller," Malek snapped, chasing after Jake. Sherry bounced out of her chair and trailed behind them. The other agents seemed befuddled as the Ice Queen charged after a man, desperate to keep him from leaving. Sherry thought she even heard a few chuckles.

They reached the blistering cold sidewalk in a minute, Jake still walking at a brisk clip with no regard to the woman behind him.

"Fine," Malek spat, shivering in the cold. "Birkin can work with you, but we get a copy of _everything_." Jake spun around, a sly grin playing on his lips. Sherry simply stared at him.

"Deal," he agreed, saluting the two woman with a finger before continuing down the street. He had important business to attend to across town, so he texted Sherry the details about the upcoming surveillance mission, promising to fill her in back at her apartment.

Reaching his destination, Jake stood in the middle of a department store, surrounded by red and white glitter, cinnamon scented pine cones, and fake Evergreens. It reminded him why he never bothered celebrating holidays in the first place; there was too much shit to worry about. A saleswoman approached him and tapped his arm with a fingernail painted to look like a candy cane.

"Could I help you, sweetie? You look a bit overwhelmed," she greeted warmly. Jake looked down at the plump, older woman and attempted a smile.

"It's that obvious, huh?" he replied. She patted his arm and smiled, steering him towards a shopping cart.

"You're just one of many young people looking to start their own holiday tradition. I've got the perfect list for you. It has everything that you need to get started without the other unnecessary stuff. I made it myself, and so far everyone has found it to be a big help."

She handed him a photocopied list of hand written suggestions, complete with notes about color and theme matching. Jake looked at it, still confused.

"Oh, dear. Maybe I should help you get started?" the woman offered. Jake could only nod. "I'm Patty, by the way. I love Christmas, well, all holidays really. It's such a special time. What's your name, dear?"

"Jake."

"Oh! I almost named my son Jake, but decided on Jack. He's in college this year, and of course needed all sorts of things for his dorm room. I made him a list, then made copies to hand out here for all the other college-bound young people."

Patty followed Jake around the entire seasonal section, suggestion decorations, lights, ornaments, and gift ideas. She stopped him at the artificial tree section.

"Now I have mixed feelings about trees. I grew up going to the farm and choosing a tree from a field. Nowadays, they sell them at gas stations and home improvement store parking lots. An artificial tree is convenient in that you don't have to shop around for the best fresh tree. Pick one and it's done, as they say," Patty explained.

"What would you recommend? See, I'm not doing this for me exactly..." Jake replied.

"Oh. It must be a girl. Or boy! I don't discriminate."

Jake couldn't help but chuckle. "A girl, yes. She hasn't had a nice Christmas in a long, long time. I kind of showed up unexpectedly and being in her apartment was just depressing. There was no happiness there."

Patty squeezed his hand and smiled, leading the way towards the jewelry section. "I would suggest you get a real tree. They're selling them right out front. This girl needs a jolt of holiday spirit and there's nothing like the smell of a fresh tree. As for presents, did you have any ideas?" she continued.

"Nothing personal. She went to work without a hat or gloves today so I thought about getting her a matching set or something," Jake started.

"But you need something that will tell this girl how your little heart feels, hm?" Patty guessed. Jake felt his cheeks heat, which never happened. "Your silence speaks volumes, Jake. Let me tell you why I like necklaces. For some reason, I find them reassuring. It's just a gentle weight around my neck, but it reminds me that I'm special to someone."


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for all the lovely reviews! Lizzieonawhim, the department store lady is loosely based off of my crazy aunt who will randomly talk to strangers everywhere she goes._ _One time we were in a hair salon and she was going around, touching women's shoulders saying hello XD_

December 24

6:00 p.m.

Sherry checked her phone again, wondering why Jake hadn't responded. She chewed on her bottom lip, worry nagging the back of her mind. She was even more concerned when he wasn't waiting for her outside of her apartment building, nor outside her door. _He's a big boy, he can take care of himself_ she reminded herself, unlocking the handle and deadbolt to her door.

Her apartment was bathed in a warm, orange glow and smelled amazing. Not of incense or scented candles but _food_. She took a few steps inside, confused. Sherry glanced at the living room and felt her jaw drop. There was a fire burning in the fireplace, and a small Christmas tree stood in the corner, draped with soft white lights. A few presents sat under the tree wrapped in silver paper with gold ribbon.

"Patty told me that less is more," a voice from behind her said. She spun around to see Jake putting on a pair of oven mitts.

"What?" Sherry asked breathlessly, turning back to the living room.

"Come on in, dinner's ready."

Sherry obliged, kicking off her boots on the way to the kitchen table. She felt completely dumbfounded for many reasons. Jake had gotten into her apartment without a key and without disturbing her front door in the slightest. He had decorated for the holidays, despite the fact that he hated them just as much as she did. Lastly, he had cooked dinner and it looked amazing.

"Since we're on surveillance tonight, I thought we should eat something light. But I also knew that you'd be hungry from skipping lunch, as I imagine you did," Jake started. Sherry nodded. "There's lemon-wine poached salmon, baked sweet potatoes and roasted asparagus. I hope you're not a picky eater."

Sherry shook her head and grabbed her fork, smiling as Jake poured her some wine.

"This is beyond amazing," she said, finally, gesturing to the food and the decorations. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"Who said it was trouble?" Jake responded, raising his wine glass. "I thought it was time you and I had a nice holiday memory."

"Cheers to that," Sherry replied, clinking his glass.

After dinner, they got ready for their surveillance at the docks. Sherry wore thermals under her clothes, hoping the below-freezing weather report would turn out to be an exaggeration. She tucked her gun into her shoulder holster and checked that it wouldn't be visible under the multiple layers she was wearing. She wandered into the living room when she was done, setting her hat and scarf by the front door. Jake was lacing his boots and watched her walk over to the dying fire and warm her hands in front of it.

"I don't think I've ever lit a fire here before," she commented, nudging the blackened logs with the poker.

"There's a first time for everything," Jake replied. "Ready?"

Sherry nodded, and doused the fire with some water before they headed out. Two train rides later, they were in Brooklyn and heading on foot to the container terminal. Jake had a camera with a telephoto lens in his duffel bag, along with some weaponry just in case. They tried to look casual as they approached the yard in case The Hornet had the docks surrounded.

"Once we locate the container, we wait until they crack it open and verify its contents. If we're lucky, The Hornet will be here to personally check the new goods," Jake said quietly, pausing beside a tree.

"Will you be able to recognize him?" Sherry asked.

"I committed his picture to memory before that asshole at the club destroyed it. That's not to say that his appearance hasn't changed-that picture's about ten years old."

Sherry frowned, but said nothing. They came upon the back entrance to the terminal, but the gates were padlocked shut. Barbed wire circled the top of the fence, and a guard house stood watch thirty feet away.

"Well, shit," Jake muttered, jamming his hands at his waist. "We can't use the front entrance, so we only have one option." Sherry nodded at the barbed wire with a determination. They doubled back a few hundred yards to an area of the fence that wasn't illuminated by the street lights.

Jake laced his fingers together and bent his knees. "Come on, I'll boost you over," he said, nodding towards the fence. Sherry nodded and gave herself a running start before planting her right foot into Jake's hands. He vaulted her up and clean over the fence, where she landed with a graceful _thud_.

"Nicely done," he remarked, starting up the fence. When he reached the barbed wire, he draped his jacket over the metal and cautiously crossed one leg over. It took some finagling to get his hands free without slicing his wrists, but he managed to drop down to Sherry's side without doing major damage.

"You can boost _me_ on the way out," he remarked, shrugging his coat back on. They maneuvered through the shipping yard, keeping their eyes sharp for any of The Hornet's lackeys who might be patrolling the grounds.

About midway through their trek, they started to hear voices. Backs pressed against a container, they planned their next move.

"We need to get a clear view, but there are so many containers in the way that I don't think that's possible," Sherry whispered. Jake scanned the area, craning his neck to see around the various obstacles in his way.

"We need to get higher," he muttered, reaching for the top of the container they were hiding behind.

"Would you like your boost now or later?" Sherry questioned as Jake lost his grip on the ice cold metal. He smirked at her, then caught sight of something behind her.

"I think I found the best vantage point," he remarked. Sherry turned around to find a huge crane with a shipping container dangling two hundred feet in the air. She turned back to Jake and squinted at him.

"You're serious?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. We'll get a bird's eye view of the whole operation without the risk of being caught."

"Except on the climb up," Sherry retorted, but Jake was already jogging towards the crane. She ran after him, keeping a low profile as she weaved through the shipping yard. The voices they heard earlier were much louder now; The Hornet's crew didn't seem concerned with being heard. Perhaps they paid off the security guards who ran the night watch.

Jake was waiting at the base of the crane, crouched in the shadows when Sherry finally caught up with him. He gestured for her to get down just before a heavily armed man came into view. He had a rifle strapped to his back and an AK on his front. He looked like an angrier, grittier Sly Stallone on steroids. He was smoking a cigar, the noxious fumes poisoning the air as he slowly made his circuit.

Sherry and Jake remained crouched in silence, barely breathing as the grunt sauntered past them. He looked around before unzipping his pants and taking a piss on the side of a metal crate. Sherry held her breath as the stench of urine and cigar smoke wafted past them. Jake silently began to rise from his crouched position, inching towards the grunt as he tucked himself back into his pants.

Jake swiftly wrapped an arm around his neck and covered his mouth with his free hand. The grunt swung, kicked and bucked but couldn't break free. His body went limp and Jake lowered him to the floor, positioning him against the metal crate so it looked like he was sleeping.

The grunt's radio crackled to life, causing both Jake and Sherry to jump. A voice was barking over the radio, breaking the silence. Jake grabbed the radio and mumbled some words in a language Sherry didn't understand. He pressed the talk button on and off while he spoke, garbling the transmission and masking his voice.

"Let's hope no one gets curious," he whispered, dropping the radio into the grunt's lap. He quickly climbed onto the base of the crane and helped Sherry up. They eyed the crane's arm, losing the top of it into the dark night sky. "You go first."

Sherry narrowed her eyes at Jake suspiciously. "Why?" she asked.

"So I can catch you if you fall," he retorted. "Also, so I can look at your ass."

Feeling her cheeks heat in the cold, Sherry turned towards the crane. "I don't even know how to respond to that," she hissed, reaching for the crane. Jake chuckled, letting her get about ten feet up before beginning to climb.

"I can see them. Do you think they'll notice us?" Sherry said once they were about thirty feet up.

"Doubt it. They've got spotlights and we have the cover of darkness."

They climbed higher, noticing a black van pull into the yard and approach the group of men in the center. Jake looped an arm through one of the metal bars on the crane and pulled out a pair of binoculars.

"What do you see?" Sherry whispered, the wind making her sound far away.

"A couple of goons just got out of the van. One of them could be our guy…but The Hornet was a fat slob in his last picture. Both these guys are pretty fit," Jake replied. "Let's keep moving."

When they had finally climbed high enough to be level with the dangling container, they strategized how to get on it.

"It's a bit too far to jump," Jake remarked, avoiding looking down. "I'll climb to the top and shimmy down the main hoist line to get on the container. I can then swing it closer to you, and I'll be here to catch you if you fall short."

Sherry widened her eyes in horror. "That's a terrible plan!" she hissed. Jake reached up and pinched her calf.

"We don't have any other options. By the time we come up with another plan, they'll be long gone. Besides, you're indestructible."

"But you're not! And that doesn't mean that I can't feel pain."

Jake ignored her protests, maneuvered past her, and reached the top of the crane. Sherry held her breath as he rotated his body and wrapped his legs around the hoist line. Slowly, he moved his hands until he was inching down the line towards the container. Sherry allowed herself to breathe again, shifting her attention to the ship yard below. None of the men had seemed to notice Jake's circus act; they all appeared to be waiting for something.

With a light _thud_ , Jake dropped onto the shipping container. He shook his arms and rotated his neck before walking to the far end of the container. Using his body weight, he shifted back and forth along the length of the receptacle until it began to swing towards the arm of the crane. Sherry hated his plan, but when he stood at the end closest to her and held out his arms, all she could do was jump. For a moment, she was weightless, her arms stretched out towards a man she used to despise.

He was selfish, callous, abrasive…but the worst part was that he reminded her of her father. Doctor William Birkin, too, was completely self-absorbed. He was obsessed with his research and couldn't care less how it affected his family. Jake the Mercenary's only concern was himself, his money, and his next score.

But something about him changed. He softened some, showing more concern for others as he battled through the streets of China with Sherry. Perhaps it was their experience there that affected him enough to change his ways. The time that they spent locked up was horrendous, but knowing that he wasn't alone seemed to have an effect on Jake.

So now, as Sherry soared through the air, she reached for him—the him that he became because of her. His strong arms wrapped around her and they both slammed onto the cold metal container. The _thump_ was deafening, and they both held their breath and waited for the bullets to start flying as they gave their position away.

The moments passed and Sherry slowly drew in a breath, lifting her head from Jake's chest.

"Do you think they heard us?" she whispered, rising to her hands and knees. Jake gave a tilt of his head to indicate that he didn't.

"We could just wait a little while longer," he suggested, feeling the absence of her body heat immediately. Sherry was already crawling towards the edge of the container, pulling a pair of binoculars from her pocket. Jake set to screwing the zoom lens onto his camera and sidled up next to her.

The gang of brutes on the ground below them was gathered around a container as terrified girls stepped out into the cold one by one. Jake peered through his camera, snapping photos of the man he believed to be The Hornet. The man looked to have lost a great deal of weight, but still retained the cold, lifeless eyes.

"Is it him?" Sherry asked as the wind whistled between them.

"It's gotta be," he replied. "He wouldn't miss a delivery like this."

The plan was to observe and determine the situation before making any moves. The girls were being loaded into a waiting van, each given a plastic bag as they climbed in. The bags likely contained some personal supplies that they could use before they were auctioned off.

The Hornet pulled a girl aside and tilted her chin towards the light.

"That girl…" Sherry started, squinting through the binoculars.

"Yeah, she's just a kid. This isn't good," Jake said through clenched teeth. "Not that anything about this is good, but this just makes it a whole other level of bad."

"We can't let him take her."

Sherry started to radio their backup, but Jake stopped her. "We can't blow our cover."

She stared at him, mouth hanging open. "This is the mission, Jake! Saving that girl and the women she came here with," she insisted.

"If we go in guns blazing, The Hornet will most certainly get away, but he won't stop. There will be countless more women and girls; we can't risk stopping him for good," Jake retorted.

Sherry shook her head and sat down, her back to Jake. He was right; there was too much at stake and she wasn't thinking clearly. But it still made her angry. She stared off at the Manhattan skyline, wiping tears from her eyes and blaming them on the cold. Jake was quiet, snapping pictures as the operation moved along.

Their backup was stationed around the perimeter of the shipping yard, armed with GPS trackers that they would fire at the vehicles as they left the compound. Once their base of operations was located, a full tactical team could move in and apprehend all parties involved. Malek had reviewed the mission with the team several times, and Sherry was nearly the person who brought the whole thing down.

She didn't want to be sulking, but she couldn't bring herself to be by Jake's side, either. Maybe she had expected him to be ready to go and be the hero for that little girl. He probably wanted to, but had the sense and dedication to know that being so reckless went again the greater good. Thankfully, he did not attempt small talk. The silence between them grew until it was deafening.

Jake rolled onto his back, propped on an elbow and started scanning the pictures on his camera. Sherry shifted onto her knees and crawled towards him, ready to grow up and handle things the right way.

With a tremendous groan, the crane came to life and the shipping container began to swing in the air.


	8. Chapter 8

December 24

11:00 p.m.

 _With a tremendous groan, the crane came to life and the shipping container began to swing in the air._

Jake reached for his duffel bag and camera before they slid off of the vessel. Sherry grabbed the metal with her gloved hands, not feeling confident in her grip in the slightest.

"What the hell is going on?" she whisper-yelled to Jake, who was desperately trying to keep from sliding to the edge of the container.

"Someone must be operating the fucking crane," he exclaimed, hooking the duffel bag's straps around one arm. With a loud _clang_ the crane stopped rotating and the container began to drop. The persona at the controls adjusted the speed from _Tower of Terror_ to the electric bumper cards. Sherry felt like her heart was in her throat, but at least they weren't swinging two hundred feet up any more.

She removed her gun from its shoulder holster and flipped the safety off. Jake shifted closer to her in the center of the crate, pulling a gun from his bag. "It's very likely that our position has been compromised," he started, desperately wanting to look over the side to see what they were up against. "Our best bet may be to run for it once we're close enough to the ground."

"What if they haven't seen us? Maybe they have more…merchandise in this container?" Sherry questioned, pressing her knees against her hands to keep them from shaking.

"I guess it's possible," Jake admitted. "Whatever the case, we need to be prepared."

As the container lowered, they formulated a plan to exit via the back of the container. Unfortunately, they had no way of knowing which end was which so it was kind of a crap shoot. They were able to hear voices as they descended and determined that they were facing the front of the container where the men were gathered. As the container thudded to the ground, they scooted to the back end.

Jake peered over the edge, giving Sherry the all clear. Silently, they dropped to the ground and peeked around the walls of the container. Jake counted three men on the left, Sherry counted four on the right. As the brutes worked on opening the container, Sherry and Jake slinked off and hid in the darkness. Sherry called in a report to Malek, who agreed with Jake's decision to stay the course.

"As terrible as it is Agent Birkin, saving that little girl could mean a hundred more get sold into sexual slavery. Her sacrifice will save countless others. Tell Muller he was right, but doing the right thing isn't always easy," Malek said before ending the call. Sherry relayed the message to Jake, who didn't look like he felt validated at all.

"There are agents ready with the trackers, so our job here is done," Sherry concluded, shivering in the cold They kept their weapons drawn as they maneuvered through the shipping yard, holstering them once they came up to the fence.

Despite his previous teasing, Jake dutifully hoisted Sherry over the fence and went through the trouble of climbing over it himself. With leaden feet, they walked to the subway station and waited for their train.

"I know you were right," Sherry said quietly as a lukewarm breeze blew out of the tunnel. Jake leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"That doesn't make it feel any better," he admitted. "I'm just as sick about it as you."

She nodded, then squeezed his knee reassuringly.

"Psychoanalysts would say that you saw yourself in that girl, and that what you wanted more than anything else was for someone to have saved _you_ ," Jake said after a few minutes of silence. Sherry didn't respond. "And the truth is that you wouldn't be _you_ if you didn't experience what you did. Maybe you would be a better person, maybe not. Dwelling on the past isn't going to make all the bad stuff that happened to you go away."

Their train arrived and they trudged on board. Sherry tried to think of something to say, but nothing she came up with sounded right. She stared out the window, watching flashes of graffiti and safety lights fly by.

It was early morning by the time they got back to Sherry's apartment. It felt unusually cold in the building, but when Sherry opened her front door, they were greeted by even more frigid air.

"Did you open a window before we left?" Sherry asked, moving the curtains aside to find the windows closed.

"Nope. It was cold in the lobby; maybe there's an issue with the heater," Jake replied, following Sherry to the thermostat. Sure enough when she turned the dial, the heat didn't kick on. Jake set about lighting another fire while Sherry called the building's super. She was greeted with a voicemail message informing her that they were aware of the issue and would be working on getting the heat restored as soon as possible.

She changed into flannel and fleece pajamas, pulling on a pair of warm socks and wrapping a cozy bathrobe around herself. She brushed her teeth and washed her face before checking on Jake. The fire was slowly crackling to life, so she sat down next to him on the tile.

"I can probably find another blanket around here," she began, still shivering. Jake smirked, then shrugged a shoulder.

"Don't forget I'm used to the barren tundra that is Edonia in the winter. I'll be fine," he said reassuringly.

They said their good nights and Sherry shuffled to her room, burying herself under a pile of blankets before drifting off to sleep.

Sherry woke with a start, her eyes darting around the room in search of whatever she thought she had heard. The sun wasn't even up yet, meaning she had barely gotten two hours of sleep. Her room felt like an icebox and she couldn't get warm. Leaving the cozy comfort of her bed, Sherry tiptoed into the living room and sat in front of the fire. She quietly added another log and poked the charred remains that Jake had set up earlier.

"Can't sleep?" he asked from the sofa bed. She should have known he would be a light sleeper.

"It's too cold," she answered, turning to face him. "I don't know how you're not freezing."

He laughed and shrugged a bare shoulder, then gestured for her to come over. "Come on, we can share our body heat," he offered. Sherry stiffened, feeling her cheeks heat.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," she declined as the cold from the tile seeped through her pants.

"Don't be stubborn."

With an annoyed sigh, Sherry climbed onto the sofa bed and under the blanket Jake held up for her. She laid on her side and stopped breathing when Jake wrapped his arm and leg around her. A warm sensation enveloped her, so she didn't complain. She could feel his gentle breathing on the back of her neck and the overwhelming sensation that he would keep her safe.

Jake woke to sunlight piercing through his eyelids, so he pressed his face into Sherry's hair. He then realized that she had her arm wrapped around his torso; her leg intertwined with his. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, her breasts pressing against him with each breath. The stirring in his groin told him it was time to get up before Sherry woke up and freaked out. He slid out of her arms and swung his legs off the side of the bed.

"What time is it?" Sherry murmured, stirring behind him. He checked his phone and rubbed his face.

"A little after nine. I'm gonna take a shower," he answered, grabbing his bag and holding it in front of him. He stepped into the tub before the water was even warm, shoving his head under the cold stream until his blood cooled down.

His transition from mercenary to government agent had left little time for gallivanting; he was too busy jetting around the world to meet anyone. That little minx at the club had certainly got his juices flowing, reminding him of what he was missing. It had been hard to maintain his composure, but getting the shit beat out of him sure had done the trick. Snuggling up to Sherry may not have been the best course of action given his predicament, but at least she was able to get some sleep.

After his shower, Jake brushed his teeth and got dressed, freeing up the bathroom for Sherry to use. She was still in bed, bundled under the covers.

"How are you not frozen?" she asked enviously.

"My blood is eighty percent anti-freeze," he joked, gesturing towards the bathroom. "The water's nice and hot for you."

Sherry climbed out of bed and discretely adjusted her clothes, which seemed to get twisted overnight. She ran her fingers through her hair and shivered, quickly crossing her arms to cover her hardening nipples.

"I'll work on some breakfast," Jake offered, averting his gaze, but not quickly enough. Sherry nodded and made a bee-line for the bathroom, hoping to avoid any more embarrassment. When she was done showering and fully clothed, she came into the kitchen to find Jake making waffles while on the phone. She pulled on the hem of her sweater nervously before taking over at the waffle maker.

Jake stepped aside, leaning against the stove before ending his call. "That was HQ; word on the street is that The Hornet is looking to auction off the girls tonight at the club. Your boss says the Nightcap is all wired up for audio and that they'll have a few agents with body cameras scope out the joint. It's not a good idea for me to show up until the raid in case anyone recognizes me."

"Like that woman from the other night?" Sherry asked before thinking.

"Is that…jealousy I sense?" Jake question, taking a step towards her. Sherry busied herself with the last waffle and unplugged the machine, wiping her hands on a towel before finally looking at him.

"No," she lied, "don't be stupid. I just remembered seeing the video and was running through the different people who might recognize you."

Jake didn't look like he was buying it. He crossed his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. Sherry caught a glance at his wrists and gasped. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Oh, my God, look at this!" she exclaimed, yanking his sleeve back.

"I guess that barbed wire won," he muttered, trying to pull free. Sherry dragged him to the bathroom to tend to the various cuts around his wrist. She busied herself at the sink, instructing Jake to sit on the toilet lid.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing," he insisted, wincing as she poured betadine over his tender skin.

"Do you see how red and puffy your skin is? That's the start of an infection. When's the last time you had a tetanus shot?" She was starting to sound hysterical as the heat rose up her neck and to her cheeks.

"You seem to forget that I have super blood that saved the world."

Sherry ignored him and tenderly rinsed his skin, feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. She blotted away the water with a clean towel. Jake rose and stepped forward, invading her personal space by a hair. Sherry got a whiff of his cologne and felt her insides liquefy, so she focused on smearing Neosporin across the various gashes on his wrist and arm. Her hands were shaking as she wrapped the gauze around the wound patch and she prayed that Jake didn't notice.

It felt like her body was pulsating with heat as she finally met Jake's eyes.

"You'll survive," she squeaked out before biting her lip in an attempt to come to her senses.

"Oh, damn," Jake breathed, cupping her face in his hands and pulling her mouth to his. Sherry gasped as he grazed his teeth over her bottom lip, then rested her hands on his hips. He pulled away too soon, apologizing.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line," he hissed, holding up a hand. He backed up until his heels cracked against the side of the tub. "I just…God damn it." He tried to brush past her, but she blocked his way.

"Jake," Sherry said, standing firm.

"Don't say anything. Please. I shouldn't have done that," he continued, trying to squeeze his slender frame between her and the wall.

"Jake," she said firmly. "Stop talking."

Confused, he turned to face her as she slid her arms around his waist and pulled him into her. He met her for a kiss, feeling guilty and amazing at the same time. His hands slid up Sherry's back and into her hair. She pressed him against the wall, the heat growing inside her until it was a raging fire. Jake lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them into her bedroom.

"Are you sure about this?" Jake asked, pausing before kissing her neck. Sherry turned her head to give him better access and moaned in response. She reached for the hem of his shirt, yanking it over his head as his teeth nipped at the nape of her neck. "I need a yes or no," he requested, his need pressing into her belly.

Sherry took several breathless gasps before grinning and whispering, "Hell yes." Jake reached for her waistband and unzipped her slacks, easing them down excruciatingly slowly. He kissed her foot and made his way up her calf and thigh before kneeling down to breathe her in.

She was pulsating with need as he grabbed the hem of her panties with his teeth and pulled them down, fingers caressing her silken curls. He teased her with his tongue until she lifted her hips and pressed against his awaiting mouth. Sherry gripped her comforter and gasped, quivering beneath Jake's touch. While he worked his tongue, he unbuckled his belt and set about removing his jeans.

Sherry tore her sweater off and Jake peeled off his boxer briefs, gently sliding into her. She gasped and winced, grabbing his arm.

"What is it, what's wrong?" he asked, quickly easing back.

"It's just been while," she admitted. Jake went to his knees again and took her clit in his mouth, sliding a finger inside her until she adjusted to the unfamiliar feeling. Jake waited until she was ready before gliding into her again, teasing her clit with his thumb as they slowly began to move in sync.

"Is this alright?" Jake asked, leaning forward to kiss each breast. She nodded, biting her lip as he pressed deeper. Sherry linked her legs around Jake and pulled him close, ripples of pleasure spreading to her extremities. "You feel amazing," he breathed into her neck and her skin broke out in goosebumps.

Sherry kissed him deeply, biting his lip and pressing her nails into his back. Jake flipped over and she adjusted on top of him, gyrating her hips against his as he pressed deeper still. Sherry arched her back, moving faster with more purpose. She let the waves of pleasure build until she reached the summit, tumbling over with explosive force. She tightened around Jake, her hips undulating until he couldn't hold back any more. He pulled Sherry against him as their chests heaved with each breath.

"Holy shit," Jake murmured, turning so they were facing each other. Sherry wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed deeply, her body pulsating with pleasure. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been thinking about this since Lanshiang," he admitted.

"Seriously?" Sherry asked, incredulous. "So as the Ustanak was trying to kill us, Neo Umbrella was experimenting on us, and we were double crossed by Simmons…you had time to have dirty thoughts about me?"

Jake laughed and propped up on one elbow. "What can I say? I'm a good multi-tasker," he grinned.


	9. Chapter 9

December 25

11:00 a.m.

After a breakfast of cold waffles, Sherry and Jake were summoned to the Strategic Intervention Division. Malek gestured for them to come into her office the moment they walked through the door. There was still tension in the air, but Jake had won the upper hand when it came to authority over Malek.

"Congratulations on last night," she began begrudgingly. For a split second, Sherry had forgotten all about their mission and thought that Malek had somehow figured out that they had slept together. "The GPS shows the vans making a few stops last night, most likely spreading the girls out so they aren't clumped together."

"Are they still in Brooklyn?" Jake asked, his right knee bouncing up and down.

"No, the vans crossed into the city via the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and separated. One stopped at a parking garage off Canal on Elizabeth Street in China Town. The other went to a rundown building at Watts and Washington on the West Side," Malek explained, reading from a dossier.

"And where is The Hornet's night club in relation to these drop off locations?" Sherry asked. Malek held up a satellite photo and tapped an acrylic nail on it.

"Smack dab in the middle on West Broadway and Grand. We have reason to believe that the club will open to interested buyers only, and we have several agents who will be posing as such. The sale is to begin at sundown, which leaves about six hours for us to prepare. Muller, get me every photo from your op last night. Let's see if we can't identify these bastards."

Jake went off to the tech division while Sherry had to sit in on an operations meeting. Discussions were had regarding the best way to get to The Hornet and his lackeys. Some SID agents wanted to barge in, guns blazing. Others thought it best to wait for the sale to be over so they could arrest The Hornet and his business partners on their way out. Sherry felt her mind drift on more than one occasion as she flashed back to the morning's events.

"…thoughts, Agent Birkin?" Reneé Malek was staring Sherry down, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"Well," Sherry began, taking a breath and wondering what the hell the team had been talking about. "It's a hard call. Part of me thinks that we should take advantage of the element of surprise. God knows how many people might get away once we start snatching them up as they leave."

Malek paused to think for a while, tapping her nails on the table. A few other agents made suggestions, but it seemed that SID would be a glorified mouse trap when all was said and done. Once the meeting had adjourned, Sherry went in search of Jake. He was poring over surveillance photos with Landon in the tech department. Facial recognition software was running, but it wasn't nearly as sophisticated as TV shows would like people to believe.

"What's the plan?" Jake asked, leaning back in his chair to stretch.

"Snatch 'em as they leave," Sherry replied dully. "It will be wholly unsatisfying."

"He's gonna get away. He'll find out somehow, and his lackeys will whisk him to safety. We need to hit him hard."

"Maybe Malek is more willing to listen to you," Sherry offered, crossing her arms. Jake silently went to argue his point, only to return a few minutes later wearing a scowl on his face. He plopped back into his chair and chewed his bottom lip, not needing to say what Malek's answer was.

Several hours later, only a handful of The Hornet's goons had been identified. All of them were career criminals wanted for crimes ranging from misdemeanor battery to first-degree murder. The SID team suited up in bullet-proof vests and loaded themselves down with some impressive artillery. Jake and Sherry piled into a tactical van with Malek and a few other SID agents.

Jake hadn't said much since Malek refused to change plans. Instead, he focused on studying blueprints and satellite images of the Nightcap and surrounding neighborhoods. He mapped out possible escape routes in his mind, wishing they had a copy of the sewer system starting at Broadway. The Hornet hadn't evaded capture by being afraid of a little sewage.

"Shit," he grumbled, staring out the window. Sherry nudged him with her elbow and raised an eyebrow. He silently passed over the maps and waited for her to put two and two together.

"What can we do?" she whispered, gesturing at Malek who sat in the front seat.

"He's gonna get away. We need to keep that from happening," Jake replied, his voice barely audible above the rumbling of the van on the road.

They reached their destination as the sun was disappearing, casting a warm orange glow over the otherwise cold environment. The tech agents fiddled with wires and got their cameras linked up to a central surveillance hub. Sherry watched over Landon's shoulder, chewing her lip at the blank screens.

"What's wrong?" Malek snapped after several minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"I…I'm not sure," Landon stammered, tapping at his keyboard and checking connections. "The video feed is up but there's no picture."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means that I can communicate with out cameras—maneuver them, zoom in, and so forth, but there is no picture. I don't know how to explain it."

"I don't like this…" Jake murmured, tapping out a beat with his fingers. Sherry furrowed her brow and there was an audible sigh of relief as one of the camera feeds appeared. Landon did some more tapping on his keyboard, gliding his mouse around to make the feed full screen.

"This is the main lobby. The guests are coming in here," he tapped on his screen lightly and moved his finger to indicate where the real party was happening. "And they come to the back party room, or whatever we're calling it, for the sale."

Malek pored over the screen, watching the buyers stream in. She muttered some choice words under her breath as she watched the feed. Jake had started to bounce his leg up and down so fast that Sherry nudged him with her elbow to get him to stop.

"What was that?" Malek asked suddenly, clapping a hand on Landon's shoulder. "Go back. Rewind. Whatever it is, reverse fifteen seconds."

Landon did as instructed and everyone stared at the screen, jumping when there was a slight flash that was mostly out of view of their surveillance camera.

"Son of a bitch…that was muzzle flash. They know the place is hot," Malek exclaimed and then there was pandemonium.

She barked orders over the radio and SID agents spilled out of vans and SUVs that lined the block. Sherry drew her weapon and headed towards the door. Malek banged her fist on the side of a tactical unit truck and gestured orders without saying a work.

"Birkin!" she snapped. "Get on crowd control!"

Sherry bit back the retort that nearly spilled from her lips, and instead holstered her gun and ran towards an agent struggling with police tape. She helped him cordon off the block and had to physically turn a woman around.

"Ma'am, you cannot go this way," Sherry said forcefully, holding her shield. "This is an extremely dangerous raid and you need to find an alternate route."

"But my work is down there! Ya'll gonna make me late!" the woman argued, trying to duck under the yellow tape. Sherry drew her gun and pointed it at the ground.

"I will not tell you again to find an alternate route," she snapped. The woman ground her teeth and pulled out her cell phone, taking a picture of Sherry with her gun drawn.

"My boss ain't gonna believe this," the woman muttered, storming off in search of a way around.

Once the area was secure, Sherry jogged back towards the center of chaos. She scanned the crowd for Jake, but she couldn't pick him out of the crown. There was a sudden _boom_ -the distinct sound of a concussive round-as the tactical unit prepared to enter the club. Agents swarmed towards the action, not wanting to be left out of the raid.

Sherry climbed up onto the bumper of one of the SID vans and looked for Jake again, worry gnawing at the back of her mind. He was definitely not on board with Malek's plan for the raid, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he did his own thing. She climbed into the surveillance van and asked Landon for the satellite view of their location.

"May I ask why?" he muttered, doing what she asked anyway.

"Our cover was blown and there has to be at least one alternative to the front door," Sherry replied, spying a narrow alley that ran behind the club. "Thanks."

Sherry withdrew her weapon and headed down the street, ignoring the calls of other agents. She found the alley and pressed her back against the wall, craning her neck to check if it was clear. Determining that it was, she headed towards the back end of the Nightcap. Shots rang out and she took off running, hooking a right and ducking behind a dumpster. More gun shots echoed against the brick walls, this time closer.

"Agent Muller, do you copy?" she called into the radio, not expecting a response. "Jake, do you copy? Agent Thompson, do you read?"

"Landon here," he replied. "What do you need?"

"Get me a trace on Agent Muller's cell phone right away."

She jogged ahead a little further and turned right, coming upon a narrow alley that appeared to lead to the street. At the end was a heavy black door. _Shit_.

"Last location was…hey, look at that! 35 Thompson Street, I'm famous! After that…it's gone."

Sherry took off towards the street, coming to a halt as she reached the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled, but it didn't budge. She holstered her gun and got a running start before kicking off the brick walls on either side of the alley. Her hands reached the top of the door and she hoisted herself over, tumbling onto the sidewalk on the other side. She caught her breath and scanned the street, looking at the heavily graffitied building behind her.

Her eyes darted wildly as she scanned building numbers, cursing the empty storefronts that didn't seem to feel the need to label their addresses. She jogged down Thompson Street, the Freedom Tower looming in the distance.

"Landon, there are no numbers on this damn street," she said into her radio, pausing in front of a red brick building with a glass façade on the first floor. "I found 32…but have no way of telling which direction the numbers go in."

"Hang on…you've passed it. It should be the building you just passed," Agent Thompson relayed.

Sherry looked up at the three story brick building, covered with spray paint and posters. A feeling of unease settled into her stomach as she approached the building's gray door.

"This is Agent Birkin. I have reason to believe that Agent Muller is in contact with The Hornet and may be in danger. I am entering 35 Thompson in pursuit. Over," she didn't wait for a response from anyone before forcing the door.


	10. Chapter 10

December 25

6:30 p.m.

Sherry took the door and swept the vestibule with her flashlight. She paused, listening for any sounds or signs of movement, before venturing deeper into the building. The narrow corridor she was in opened up and she could see most of the building from her position. Rusted staircases led to a small office that connected across to the other side of the building via a dangerous looking catwalk. Another flight of stairs led to a larger room that seemed to overlook most of the ground floor.

There was no sign of Jake or The Hornet where she was, so Sherry headed towards the stairs, shuddering as cockroaches and centipedes skittered across the floor. She stepped around an overturned radiator and stubbed her toe on a jagged pipe that jutted out of the linoleum. More creepy-crawlies went running, so Sherry ran for the staircase, testing it out before making her ascent. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, but she strained to hear if there was any movement above.

A muffled thud came from the office above, so Sherry ascended the rusted out staircase as quickly as she could. Through the filthy office windows she could see Jake wrestling with someone, so Sherry took off at a run, ignoring the violent shaking of the catwalk.

"Jake!" she called, charging into the office as he seemed to be getting a handle of the situation. His face was bloody, but he had The Hornet in zip tie handcuffs on the floor. Both men were breathing heavily. Sherry kept her weapon on the sex trafficker as she approached.

"What are you doing here?" Jake asked her, spitting blood as he ran his hand under his nose.

"I could ask you the same thing," Sherry retorted. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Jake stood, towering over her while keeping a foot on top of The Hornet. He ignored her question and scooped the man off the floor, tossing him into a metal chair.

"Movsar Istratii. The Hornet. International trafficker of women and girls. This scum bag was within my grasp, and I sure as hell wasn't letting him get away," Jake said finally. The Hornet glared at him, spitting at his feet with contempt. "Me and Movsar here were just about to have a chat. Go back to Malek. Tell her I'll deliver him within the hour."

Sherry holstered her weapon and moved so that Jake was looking at her instead of his prize. "I will do no such thing," she retorted. "There are laws—"

"I am not going to have a damn debate with you about the rights of criminals right now," Jake said impatiently, moving Sherry aside. He punched Istratii hard in the face, loosening some teeth in the process.

"You know what I'm after, you piece of shit. Tell me where it is and I'll hand you off to the law-abiding authorities," Jake offered, gesturing at Sherry with his thumb.

"Suck my dick," The Hornet laughed, spitting out a canine. Jake socked him twice in the ribs before he felt Sherry grab at him again. He swatted her away, yanking one of the corroded metal legs from The Hornet's chair. Sherry tried radioing for back up, but the building was blocking her signal.

"We both know you weren't just smuggling sex slaves, Movsar. Tell me what I want to know," Jake requested again, bringing the metal leg up like a baseball bat.

"Is already gone," Istratii laughed. "Girls go in, yellow cake go out."

Sherry snapped to attention then. "Yellow cake? He's smuggling uranium?!" she asked incredulously.

"Where? Where did you send it?" Jake asked, whacking him in the head with the chair leg.

"A little here, a little there. Many interested buyers."

Jake flung the metal leg and broke one of the office windows, finally turning to face Sherry. She had her arms crossed tightly, her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Don't give me that look, alright? If you wanna be mad at someone, be mad at your buddy Leon for getting me involved," Jake suggested, stepping closer to her.

"Don't throw Leon under the bus because you were too much a coward to tell me the truth," Sherry warned, turning to face him so they could both keep The Hornet in their peripheral vision.

Jake threw his hands up. "I had my orders, Sherry. You know orders, right?" he said sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes at him, jamming her hands on her hips.

"Don't be an asshole, Jake," she warned. "Leon would have understood if you brought me into the loop. This was inter-agency cooperation. Don't you think Malek would have been that much more motivated to find this guy if she knew he was selling the ingredients for a fucking nuke?!"

What came next seemed to happen in slow motion. The Hornet launched himself up from his chair and charged straight at Sherry. Both she and Jake turned a moment too late. The Hornet launched himself at her, sending both of them crashing through an office window onto the rickety cat walk.

The Hornet landed on top of Sherry, his bulky body weighing her down. Jake was screaming her name, launching himself out of the office just as the catwalk began to collapse. He leapt onto the stairs, grabbing onto the railing as Sherry and The Hornet fell to the floor below with a sickening _thud_.

Jake flew down the staircase as it crumbled beneath him, jumping to the floor and sliding to Sherry's aid. He pulled The Hornet's massive body aside; he was out cold and covered with blood. Jake dragged him aside to give himself more room to assess Sherry. Her eyes were open and watery, tears spilling down the sides of her cheeks as she struggled to breathe.

A jagged, bloody pipe was coming out of her belly. Jake's hands shook as he slapped her cheek.

"Hey, Sherry, you with me?" he asked, pressing two fingers against her neck. Her eyes met his, then looked down at the pipe. He flashed back to back when they first met when she told him to pull the shrapnel from her back. "You'll be okay?"

"Do it," she whispered, gritting her teeth as he slid his hands beneath her body. She screamed as he pulled her up and off of the three inch pipe, biting her lip as he pressed his hands against the gaping hole in her stomach.

Her blood was warm as it poured over his hands and down his arms. Jake removed his shirt and pressed it against the wound in her back while using his jacket to staunch the bleeding from the front.

"Okay. You're gonna be okay," he said to reassure her as much as himself. He couldn't remember how long it would take her to heal. In his mind's eye, it happened instantly. SID agents flooded into the building then, scooping The Hornet from the floor and carrying him outside. Malek charged in, assessing the situation before spying all of the blood.

"Agent down," she hollered. Jake was pulled away from Sherry and there was pandemonium. She was whisked away in an ambulance while Jake was thrown into a SID van once it was determined he wasn't injured.

10:00 p.m.

Christmas Night

Leon Kennedy spotted Jake in the waiting room looking haggard. He was wearing an ill-fitting flannel button down shirt and there was dried blood on his pants. His hands were shaking.

"Muller," Leon greeted, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Kennedy," Jake muttered, taking a gulp of the black sludge.

"Any word?"

"She can heal. I've seen it. It doesn't make sense."

Leon sat down beside him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I spoke with Renee Malek. From what I understand Sherry lost a lot of blood, that's all. We flew in one of our doctors to avoid the inevitable questions," he explained. "Malek doesn't know about Sherry's…ability. We'd like to keep it that way."

Jake nodded and finished his coffee, the caffeine making him shake even more. Leon looked at him with concern as he had never seen Jake this agitated.

"When's the last time you ate?" Leon asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. Jake let out a deep sigh and shrugged.

"Breakfast, I guess?"

Just then a voice called out Leon's name, so he and Jake glanced up.

"Rebecca, thanks for coming on such short notice," Leon greeted, giving the petite woman a big hug. Jake rose from his chair, his muscles and joints pleading for him to sit back down. "Jake Muller, meet Rebecca Chambers, former S.T.A.R.S. rookie, Raccoon City survivor, and current doctor-extraordinaire."

Jake shook the woman's hand and gave a curt nod of his head. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"So you're the fifty million dollar man," she teased. "I am a huge fan of your antibodies, Mr. Muller."

Even though the jest was light-hearted, it was still a painful reminder of the type of man he used to be. Leon sensed Jake's unease and ushered the group towards Sherry's room.

"Leon briefed me on the situation, which is a bit perplexing. I'll be drawing some blood for analysis, but the G-Virus/vaccine should still be present in Sherry's system," Rebecca explained as they gathered at the foot of Sherry's bed.

Jake's gaze flicked between Sherry and Dr. Chambers. He nodded and thanked her before going back out into the hall. Leon followed suit a minute later and put a hand on Jake's shoulder. They sat in silence for a long time until Leon offered to get Jake something to eat.

"No, I'm fine," Jake refused, despite the grumbling in his stomach.

"Stubborn as a mule. I'll be back," Leon muttered, heading towards the elevator. Jake leaned back in his chair, pressing his head against the wall as he tried to think of a reason why Sherry's body would be betraying her. He let his mind drift, idly wondering what type of food Leon would inevitably be bringing back when he remembered the waffles he ate for breakfast.

 _Oh, shit._

He leapt up out of his chair and flew into Sherry's room, startling Dr. Chambers, Luckily she was using a tablet and not fiddling with needles or other medical sharps.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Sherry and I slept together," Jake blurted out. "This morning. Consensually. Unprotected."

"I see," Rebecca replied, narrowing her eyes. "I guess I should appreciate being 'in the loop'…"

"No," Jake retorted, exasperatedly. "I mean that there was a transfer of..."

"If you're worried that she got pregnant, don't be."

"Well I wasn't before, but now I am…but what do you mean, don't be?"

Rebecca put her tablet aside and clasped her hands together.

"Dr. William Birkin implanted his own daughter with the G-Virus embryo. Claire Redfield was fortunate enough to reverse the process, in a manner of speaking, but it didn't come without complications. It's pretty much medically impossible for Sherry to become pregnant. But it was a good idea, as embryos are very much like parasites. It would be fascinating to learn how someone with Sherry's…ability would handle a pregnancy."

Jake wasn't sure what to say. He dropped into a chair and held his head in his hands. "Well, what about my antibodies?" he asked quietly.

"You're concerned that your antibodies were transferred to Sherry and are having an effect on her ability to regenerate?"

Jake nodded, glancing over at Sherry's sleeping form on the bed. Dr. Chambers pursed her lips before rooting through her medical bag.

"I've been waiting for an excuse to get at your blood," she began. "Not to be creepy, but it truly is remarkable. If you wouldn't mind, I can draw some of your blood and do some analysis to see if this is why she couldn't regenerate."

"Take as much as you want," Jake replied, rolling up his sleeve. "I wouldn't have pulled her off that pole if I knew…"

Rebecca tied a tourniquet around Jake's arm, poking his bicep and remarking about his impressive musculature.

"I worked with your father," she said quietly, causing Jake's head to snap up.

"My condolences," he muttered, watching her find a vein in his arm before sliding the needle in.

"Aren't you just a little curious about what he was like?"

"Not really, Doc," he lied. She filled one test tube and switched out another one, barely jostling the needle in the process.

"Rebecca," she insisted. "And I'll tell you anyway. He was the dictionary definition of stoic. Always observing, regardless of how trivial something may be. It was like he was studying everything all the time."

Jake shrugged lightly and replied, "Always looking for a way to manipulate and exploit people."

"Maybe. He certainly did make a mess of things."


	11. Chapter 11

December 25

11:15 p.m.

"What's going on?" Leon asked, barely making a noise as he entered. Jake tensed, mentally chastising himself for not coming up with an excuse for the situation.

"It's me, I confess," Rebecca piped up, switching out another vial. "I never got to get hands-on with Jake's blood, and I saw an opportunity now and took it."

Leon handed Jake a bag of food, eyeing Rebecca suspiciously. Jake pulled out a banana and peeled it with his teeth, taking big bites so no one could ask him anything.

"You think his antibodies might help Sherry? 'Cause she never got the C-Virus vaccine," Leon said finally.

"Why not?" Rebecca asked, cocking her head to the side like an inquisitive bird.

"She was worried it might mess with her own 'mutant genes', as she put it."

Jake tore open the cellophane wrapper of some sort of pastry and took a big bite, hoping to buy himself some more time. Rebecca gave him a look, then looked at Leon, then her eyes finally settled on the five vials of blood she took from Jake. She withdrew the needle from his arm and pressed a gauze pad into the pit of his elbow and instructed him to hold it. After disposing of the needle, she slapped a bandage over the gauze.

"Well, I'm going to run some tests and hopefully I'll get some answers," Rebecca said, taking the tablet and blood vials as she made her exit. Leon watched her go, then took the seat she had been using. Jake had a mouthful of cheese Danish that turned to cotton as Leon eyed him with suspicion.

"So much for not being hungry," he remarked. Jake forced himself to swallow before taking a gulp of whatever was in the paper cup Leon had set down next to him.

"What is this, cocoa?" he asked.

"'Tis the season."

"Real cute."

Leon glanced over at Sherry before scrubbing his face with his hands. She was sleeping soundly, but the whole incident must have taken years off his life. Jake looked a little worse for the wear and could probably use a hot shower and a few hours of rest.

"Why don't I take you to your hotel so you can wash up and get some clean clothes?" Leon suggested after a few minutes of silence. Jake cut his eyes over towards the older man and smirked.

"What hotel? They never found my reservation."

"What? I called it in personally," Leon huffed, pulling up his email. "Oh…they emailed me to cancel the reservation due to a plumbing issue. I was on a mission when they sent this. Shit, I'm sorry Jake."

Jake seemed more amused than annoyed as he shrugged a shoulder and gestured at Sherry. "She was kind enough to lend me her couch," he explained. _And her bed._ "Shame for me the alien convention is in town, otherwise they could have gotten me a room."

Leon crinkled his brow and said, "The what?"

Jake waved a hand and rubbed at his eyes, feeling the day weighing on him like a ton of bricks. His muscles ached, his knuckles were red and sore from the beating he gave The Hornet before Sherry arrived, and his pants were stiff with her dried blood.

"I'll bring you to her place and you can get washed up and changed, then," Leon said finally, standing before Jake could argue. He _wanted_ to argue that they should stay, but he accepted Kennedy's offer instead. They walked out of the hospital to the parking garage and headed towards Sherry's apartment building. The two men didn't speak much on the drive over, and Leon bit back a smart ass comment as Jake lock-picked his way into Sherry's apartment with ease.

Jake grabbed his duffel and made a bee-line for the shower, trying not to think about what happened the last time he was in that room. He showered for practicality, removing the sweat, blood, and grime from his skin without allowing the hot water to ease his aching body. He wanted to be by Sherry's bedside when she woke up, not pampering himself because he could.

Leon was patrolling the apartment, looking at a bookshelf when Jake emerged in fresh clothing.

"Have you been here before?" Jake asked, running a towel over his hair.

"No, actually. It's very…utilitarian. Not many personal touches, like she didn't want to make the space hers," Leon replied, an edge of sadness to his voice. "Except for the decorations, I guess." Jake felt heat on his cheeks as Leon admired the holiday display he had painstakingly picked out and set up. Leon knelt down and pulled a present from under the tree.

"For you?" he asked Jake, shaking the small box.

"No," Jake replied. "For her." He disappeared into Sherry's room again before Leon could ask any awkward questions. "I'm gonna get together some clothes for her," he called.

"I'll find you a bag."

Jake pulled open dresser drawers and selected items of comfort rather than style. Sweat pants, a thermal long-sleeved t-shirt, a sports bra and black cotton underwear. He stacked the items on top of the dresser and was pushing the drawer closed when he saw something peeking out from under Sherry's intimates. Curious, Jake grabbed a corner and pulled out a picture of himself.

He cocked his head to the side, turning the picture over to find his name written on the back.

"That's the first proof we had that you existed," Leon said from the doorway, causing Jake to jump.

"Where'd you get this?" he replied.

"Surveillance drone. It was luck. People were starting to believe that you didn't even exist. No one thought your old man was the relationship type."

Jake dropped the photo back into the drawer and slid it shut, carrying the pile of clothing over to Leon. "He wasn't," he muttered, heading into the bathroom. He had no idea what Sherry might need, so he grabbed the essentials and deposited them into Leon's bag before heading back out into the apartment. He plucked Sherry's long winter jacket from the back of a chair before gesturing to the door. Leon got the hint and the two men headed out.

The silence was more awkward on the ride back to the hospital. Jake stared out the window at the bright lights flying by and just wanted to get the awkwardness out of the way.

"Dr. Chambers told me what Sherry's father did to her," he began.

"Rebecca did? How'd that come up?" Leon questioned, changing lanes to avoid a double-parked taxi.

"I told her that I was concerned that my antibodies might not…agree with Sherry's."

"But Sherry didn't take the C-Virus vaccine. We just talked about this at the hospital."

Jake let out a sigh, wishing Leon hadn't chosen this specific moment to be so dense. He scratched the back of his head and took a breath. "That's not how she got them," he said finally. Leon was silent, eyes on the road, hands at ten and two. _Is he really going to make me spell it out for him?_ Jake wondered as the seconds ticked by. "We had sex."

"I see," Leon said finally, swallowing deeply.

"We got caught up in the moment and neither one of us thought to use protection. It was only after Sherry's couldn't heal that I started to panic and wonder if that might be why."

Leon was quiet for a long time, and Jake didn't feel the need to add anything. He didn't need to justify his or Sherry's actions. But he knew that Leon cared for Sherry deeply, much like he would his own daughter if he had one.

"She cares about you," Leon said quietly. "Everything that she went through…Raccoon City, the things Birkin did to her…when she came back after the C-Virus outbreak, she was different. It took a long time for her to be able to discuss what happened, but even after all that she still had this…glow about her."

Jake turned to look at Leon whose eyes had turned glassy.

"She told me everything that happened. But anytime she spoke about you, she was happy. From one sentence to the next, it was like night and day. The creatures, the ravaging effects of the C-Virus, getting locked up for six months, none of that seemed to bother her. Because you were there with her, it was worth it."

"Wow," Jake sighed. "I…had no idea."

Leon pulled into the garage of the hospital, killed the engine, and rubbed his face. He reached into his jacket pocket and handed Jake the present he found under the Christmas tree. Jake took it and fingered the satin bow absentmindedly.

"I care about her, too. A lot," he said, sounding a bit stunted. "I don't have much going for me in this world except for her."

"I might argue that point with you, especially considering you were instrumental in bringing down an international fugitive today."

Jake laughed lightly, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Was that really today? All of that slipped away once Sherry was hurt," he admitted.

Leon opened his door and retrieved the bag from the back seat, following Jake as he headed inside. It was a relief to know that Leon wasn't pissed and that Sherry cared about Jake as much as he cared about her. He wondered how he got so lucky.

The two men walked together to Sherry's room, finding Rebecca inside. There were dark smudges under her eyes as she looked up from her laptop.

"News?" Leon asked hopefully.

"Yes and no. I've analyzed Sherry's blood and it does seem like her body, err, blood, isn't quite sure what to do with Jake's antibodies," Rebecca replied, running a hand through her hair. "Her body isn't rejecting them, exactly, more like analyzing."

"Huh," Leon muttered.

"Rebecca, he knows," Jake added, pointing a finger between himself and Sherry."

"Oh. Good, that will make this easier to explain. In all likelihood your antibodies will either be accepted into the mix, or destroyed by her immune system. I'm leaning towards the former, but it's hard to say," Rebecca said to Jake.

"What if she does end up rejecting them?" he asked gently.

"It would have happened by now. She has been fine since the, um, introduction of your antibodies, correct?" Jake nodded and tried not to turn red. "The only indication that anything was awry is that she couldn't heal as normal. My best guess is that her body is trying to make sense of your…unique chemical structure, which requires the activation of the G-Virus/vaccine enzymes. Her body just wasn't able to multi-task at the moment."

Both Jake and Leon breathed out a sigh of relief. Jake fell into the chair by Sherry's bed and ran both hands over his head. He never would have been able to forgive himself if he had screwed up Sherry on a biological level. Leon laid a hand on his shoulder and patted it roughly. Rebecca looked at her watch and closed her laptop.

"I am beyond exhausted and this jet-lag is murder. Leon, would you be able to bring me to the hotel? I'd rather like to avoid mass transit in the middle of the night," she requested. Leon deposited Sherry's bag next to Jake.

"No problem. I was about to head out myself. Muller, you'll call me when she wakes up?" he asked the younger man. Jake flicked his icy-blue eyes up and nodded affirmatively. He stood and gave Rebecca a tight hug, which surprised even him.

"Thank you," he whispered huskily into her ear. "You have no idea…thank you."

"It was my pleasure," she replied, patting his cheek. "Get some rest. Sherry's going to need someone to nurse her back to health, you know."

Jake's mouth twitched into a smile as she winked knowingly at him before following Leon out the door. He was beyond tired as he moved to stand in front of the window and watch the snow fall on the sleepy city. When he first arrived, he could think of nothing other than taking The Hornet down. Sex crimes and nuclear materials couldn't hold a match to Sherry's well-being.

He had speculated that their attraction to each other was mutual; you don't go through hell with someone just to part ways when you get back after all. Sexual attraction was one thing; it was a basic animal instinct to procreate. But he didn't think he would be lucky enough for her to actually have genuine feelings for him. He was the mercenary, the man who would put all of humanity on one side of a scale, with his own interests on the other. At least he used to be.

Jake placed his Christmas gift to Sherry on her lap and settled into the chair by her bed again. Despite the uncomfortable seating, he fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

Sherry woke slowly, as if being pulled from a sticky, syrupy dream. She blinked as the first rays of sunlight crept into her room, the Manhattan skyline glittering to welcome a new day. She turned and smiled upon seeing Jake sprawled on an upholstered chair, his head cocked to the side. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest for a few minutes, happy to listen to the rhythmic sound of his breathing.

When she tried to shift her position, Sherry hissed at the sudden stab of pain in her abdomen. This caused Jake to jerk awake, coming to check on her immediately. He cupped her face in his hands. "Are you alright?" he asked hoarsely, reaching to take one of her hands in his.

"What happened?" she asked, staring up at him with blue orbs full of confusion. Jake explained everything that had happened since The Hornet knocked her through that window and concluded with Rebecca's best guess as to what was going on in Sherry's body. She laid a hand on her wound and Jake struggled to find the right thing to say.

The wrapped box was still in her lap, and she reached for it when the silence between them had become almost unbearable.

"What's this?" she asked, holding it up for inspection.

"That was under your Christmas tree," Jake replied, doing his best to appear nonchalant. "Leon brought it here with him. Maybe it's from him. I don't know." Sherry laughed at him gently.

"You're a terrible liar," she sighed, pulling at the satin bow. "Should I wait for Leon to come back before I open it?" Jake gave her a wry smile and a shrug. She rolled her eyes at him before peeking inside the small box. Her fingers pulled out the item from inside and she held it in front of her eyes.

"The lemniscate, or infinity symbol," Jake explained, "has a whole lot of math jargon attached to it. The nice lady at the store said that it also represents forever, or limitless and never-ending possibilities, my personal favorites." He looked down at the floor in a rare instance of feeling bashful. When he glanced up again, Sherry was clasping the necklace on with glassy eyes.

"Jake," she whispered, the silver symbol resting against her porcelain skin just so. "It's perfect." He bent down and pressed his lips against hers as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"The only perfect thing in the world is you, Super Girl."

The End

A/N: That's it! I hope you enjoyed reading my little story. I may write an epilogue just to wrap up the whole Hornet storyline (I can't tell you how many times I typed "Horney" on accident XD) Thanks to everyone who commented and stuck through to the end.

And in case anyone cared, The Hornet's club is located here: Nightcap- 356 Broadway West Broadway and Grand. I did some Google satellite work, but had to fudge a little on the alleyways to enhance the story. The building Jake takes The Hornet into is also real! You can streetview it.


End file.
